Think and Grow as an Artist (Part 1)
How to Adopt Napoleon Hill's Timeless Principles for Artistic Success
Throughout my career in business and the arts, I’ve read countless business books. Many of these works, brimming with rich insights and strategies, I believe, warrant revisiting and recontextualizing for the arts or any creative field.
It’s fascinating how the principles outlined in these business-oriented books can seamlessly apply to the realm of creativity. This is precisely what I aim to accomplish in future issues of The Intentional Artist — adapting and applying business wisdom to our creative endeavors.
The first in this series is the classic bestseller, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Over the next three issues of The Intentional Artist, I want to delve into Hill’s timeless principles and explore how they can be effectively integrated into our creative processes and careers.
“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” —Napoleon Hill
This book, known primarily for its focus on success and wealth creation, offers much more than financial advice. It presents a philosophy of achievement that, I believe, is incredibly relevant and valuable for artists and creative entrepreneurs.
While Think and Grow Rich is often categorized as a self-help or personal development book, it is essentially a study of success through the power of mindset and belief.
Written during the Great Depression, it encapsulates the philosophies of successful individuals of that era, yet its core principles transcend time and profession. From the power of desire and faith to the importance of organized planning and decision-making, these principles are not solely about financial gain but about realizing one’s full potential, a concept that resonates deeply within the arts.
Some might initially view Hill’s book with skepticism. Its emphasis on the mental aspects of success, particularly the notion that thoughts can significantly influence one’s reality, may seem abstract or overly optimistic, especially when considering the challenges in the arts. Despite this, Think and Grow Rich has maintained its status as a powerful and influential text, guiding many to success in various life facets.
In this series of The Intentional Artist, I am excited to guide you through reinterpreting Hill’s principles for our creative pursuits.
My goal is to demonstrate the relevance of these principles in shaping a thriving, dynamic creative career, whatever your discipline.
Through real-world examples, practical applications, and personal insights, I hope to inspire you to see beyond the traditional scope of this book and discover new ways to apply its wisdom to your creative journey.
I hope you join me as we explore how these time-tested concepts can be adapted to our unique challenges and opportunities as artists and creatives.
As we dive into each principle, we’ll see how these timeless concepts can be catalysts for creativity, innovation, and success in the artistic arena.
The principles of Desire, Faith, Autosuggestion, and Specialized Knowledge, among others, offer a robust framework for navigating the often challenging journey of a creative career. We’ll explore how adapting these principles to the unique challenges and opportunities of the art world can lead not just to financial success, but to personal fulfillment and a lasting impact on our field.
So, let’s begin with the first principle from Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich: the concept of ‘Desire.’ As you will see, ‘Desire’ is more than just wanting something. It involves cultivating a strong passion and determination, which are essential for us as artists to achieve our most ambitious goals and bring our creative visions to life.
Desire: Defining Our Artistic Vision
As artists and creative entrepreneurs, it all starts with desire. In Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, desire isn’t just a wish; it’s a deep longing, a strong drive that pushes us towards our goals. As we dive into this section, we’ll see how we can use this powerful force to shape and reach our creative dreams.
For us, desire means a strong need to create, to express ourselves, and to make our inner visions real. It keeps us moving forward through challenges and leads us to our creative goals.
But, this desire has to be clear and focused. It’s not enough to just want to be an artist; we need to know exactly what we want to achieve with our art, whether it’s making people feel certain emotions, challenging the way people think, changing a style, or telling a unique story.
Let’s think about Frida Kahlo, a great example of how strong desire leads to artistic success. Even though she faced many health problems and emotional pain, her need to paint never faded. Her art, deeply personal and full of her life experiences, stood out because of her intense need to express herself. She shows us that our strong desire to show our identity and experiences can lead us to great success in the art world.
For us artists, keeping this desire alive means always being in touch with what inspires us, whether it’s our own life experiences, issues in society, or certain art movements. Knowing why we create and what we want our art to achieve gives us direction, guides our choices, and keeps us focused.
But desire alone isn’t enough. It must lead to action.
We need to use our desire to follow our art and creativity with discipline, setting real, reachable goals like finishing a certain number of artworks in a certain time, putting on shows, or learning new styles and techniques. These goals help us move step by step towards our bigger dream, keeping us on track and eager to keep going.
It’s also important for us to protect and feed our desire. The road to creativity often has rejections and criticisms, which can stifle our passion. We need to be strong and find ways to keep our desire burning. This might mean being around people who support us, always looking for new inspiration, or doing things that bring back our love for our work.
Desire is what fuels our journey in creativity. As artists, knowing and using this desire is very important. When we align what we create with what we deeply want, we not only fulfill ourselves but also connect more with the people who see our art. This is how we build a successful and meaningful career in the arts, where our passion and purpose come together.
Having explored ‘Desire’ and its vital role in fueling our artistic aspirations, we now turn to the next principle: ‘Faith.’ While desire sparks our creative journey, ‘Faith’ is about building the confidence and belief in ourselves to bring our artistic visions to fruition. In the following section, we’ll examine how ‘Faith’ acts as a cornerstone in sustaining our creativity and transforming our artistic goals into tangible outcomes.
Faith: Belief in Our Artistic Ability
Faith is at the core of our creative journey. Faith is about having trust and confidence in our abilities as artists. It’s about believing, deep down, that we can achieve our goals, no matter how big or challenging they might seem.
In the world of art and creativity, faith is not just wishful thinking. It’s a strong conviction that comes from within, guiding us through uncertainties and helping us overcome obstacles. It’s essential for us, as artists, to have faith in our unique voice and vision. This kind of belief fuels our creativity and pushes us to explore new boundaries in our work.
Consider the story of J.K. Rowling, for instance. When she was introducing the world to Harry Potter, she faced numerous rejections from publishers. Despite these setbacks, she never lost faith in her story and her abilities as a writer. Her unwavering belief in the world she created eventually led to the publication of the Harry Potter series, which has since become a global phenomenon. Rowling’s journey is a powerful testament to the importance of having faith in one’s art.
For us to cultivate this kind of faith, it’s important to constantly remind ourselves of our skills and past achievements. Keeping a portfolio of our work or a journal of our creative process can help us see how far we’ve come and reinforce our belief in our abilities. It’s also beneficial to surround ourselves with people who believe in us and our art. Their support can bolster our confidence, especially during tough times.
Another way to build faith is through practice and continuous learning. The more we work on our craft, the more skilled we become, and the stronger our faith in our abilities grows. This process of continuous improvement and learning helps us to not only refine our art but also to solidify our belief in ourselves as artists.
We must also be wary of self-doubt and negative criticism that can erode our faith. Constructive feedback is valuable, but we must learn to distinguish it from discouragement. When faced with negativity, it’s crucial for us to stay rooted in our belief in ourselves and our artistic vision.
In previous issues of The Intentional Artist, I’ve discussed topics like self-doubt, mindset, and resistance. For a deeper exploration of these themes, I encourage you to revisit those issues.
Faith is a vital ingredient in our artistic endeavors. It’s the inner strength that keeps us going, even when the odds seem against us. By nurturing our faith in our abilities and our art, we empower ourselves to take risks, face challenges, and ultimately achieve the success we envision. As we continue to believe in ourselves, we open up endless possibilities in our creative journeys.
Faith in our artistic abilities sets a strong foundation for our creative pursuits. Building upon this, the principle of ‘Autosuggestion’ offers a practical tool to further enhance our mindset and creativity. In the upcoming section, we’ll be going into how shaping our thoughts and beliefs through autosuggestion can amplify the confidence and creative energy we’ve nurtured through faith.
Autosuggestion: Cultivating a Creative Mindset
Autosuggestion is a powerful tool in shaping our mindset and approach towards our creative endeavors. Autosuggestion involves influencing our subconscious mind through self-directed thoughts and affirmations, essentially programming ourselves to think and act in ways that align with our artistic goals.
In the creative world, our mindset plays a crucial role. It can either propel us towards innovative ideas and resilience or drag us into self-doubt and stagnation. Through autosuggestion, we can train our minds to focus on positive and empowering thoughts, thereby enhancing our creativity and productivity.
A great example of autosuggestion in action is found in the career of Walt Disney. He was a master at envisioning possibilities and turning them into reality. Disney’s belief in his dreams and his consistent positive reinforcement to himself and his team led to groundbreaking innovations in animation and entertainment. He often spoke about the power of belief and imagination, which are at the heart of autosuggestion.
To implement autosuggestion in our lives as artists, we can start by regularly affirming our abilities and the possibility of achieving our goals. This might involve daily affirmations, visualizing our success, or repeatedly telling ourselves that we can overcome the challenges we face in our creative work.
A compelling example of this practice is the story of Jim Carrey, who, before his rise to fame, wrote himself a check for $10,000,000 for ‘acting services rendered.’ He dated it for the future and kept it in his wallet as a constant reminder of his goal. This act of visualization and belief in his own potential was a powerful form of autosuggestion that helped propel him towards eventual success.
Creating a positive environment also aids in this process. Surrounding ourselves with inspiring art, engaging with uplifting and supportive communities, and consuming media that fuels our creativity can reinforce the positive messages we tell ourselves.
Another key aspect is to be mindful of our internal dialogue. The way we talk to ourselves can greatly influence our mindset. By consciously shifting our internal dialogue from negative to positive, we can create a more nurturing environment for our creativity to flourish.
It’s important to remember that autosuggestion is not about ignoring the realities and challenges we face. It’s about approaching them with a mindset that favors growth, learning, and persistence. When we encounter setbacks, rather than getting stuck in a cycle of self-doubt, we can use autosuggestion to remind ourselves of our strengths and the learning opportunities these challenges present.
Autosuggestion is a powerful tool for us as artists. It helps us cultivate a mindset that not only nurtures our creativity but also builds resilience against the inevitable ups and downs of the creative process. By regularly practicing autosuggestion, we can reinforce our belief in our artistic journey, stay motivated, and open our minds to the vast possibilities of our creativity.
While the practice of autosuggestion equips us with the mindset to envision and strive for success, it’s the acquisition of ‘Specialized Knowledge’ that gives us the tools to turn these visions into reality. In the next section, we will explore how continually expanding our expertise and skills in our chosen art forms serves as a critical step in our creative evolution and professional growth.
Specialized Knowledge: Mastery of Craft
Acquiring ‘Specialized Knowledge’ is crucial in our creative endeavors, as it involves dedicating ourselves to learning and mastering the specific skills and knowledge that are essential to our craft.
In the art world, talent is just the starting point. The refinement and honing of our skills through continuous learning and practice are what allow us to fully express our artistic vision and stand out in a crowded field. Specialized knowledge can take many forms, from technical skills in our chosen medium, to an understanding of art history, to insights into the business side of art.
Take, for example, Georgia O’Keeffe, known for her distinctive paintings of enlarged flowers and New Mexico landscapes. Her unique style didn’t emerge in a vacuum; it was the result of years of education and exploration in the arts. O’Keeffe’s deep understanding of color, form, and composition allowed her to develop a style that was not only unique but also resonated deeply with viewers.
For us as artists, acquiring specialized knowledge often involves formal education, but it can also come from self-teaching, workshops, mentorships, and simply practicing our art. It’s important to stay curious and open to learning new techniques and approaches, as this helps us grow and evolve in our work.
Musicians often spend years learning their instruments, understanding the intricacies of musical theory, composition, and performance. This specialized knowledge, combined with their unique artistic vision, enables them to create music that resonates and endures.
Similarly, in other creative disciplines like film, dance, or the written word, the pursuit of specialized knowledge is equally critical. Filmmakers study various aspects of film production, writers hone their narrative and linguistic skills, and dancers master the techniques and expressions of their chosen style. This in-depth understanding and skill set empower them to bring their creative visions to life in a way that deeply engages their audience.
In addition to honing our artistic skills, understanding the business aspect of being an artist is also crucial. This includes marketing, networking, managing finances, and understanding the market dynamics of the art world. This knowledge enables us to navigate the industry effectively, find opportunities, and sustain our artistic practice financially.
However, it’s essential to balance the pursuit of specialized knowledge with our creative expression. We must avoid getting so caught up in learning and perfecting techniques that we lose sight of our unique voice and what we want to express through our art.
In the pursuit of specialized knowledge, collaboration and networking with other artists and professionals in the field can be incredibly valuable. Sharing knowledge, learning from the experiences of others, and getting feedback on our work can provide insights that we might not gain in isolation.
Specialized knowledge is a key factor in our growth and success as artists. It’s not just about practicing our art; it’s about continuously expanding our understanding and skills to better express our artistic vision. By committing to lifelong learning and balancing it with our personal expression, we can continue to evolve and succeed in our artistic endeavors.
As we conclude the first part of this series on Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, I’m excited to continue further exploration in next week’s edition.
We’ll dive into the realms of Imagination, Organized Planning, Decision, Persistence, and Master Mind, each offering unique insights for our artistic and entrepreneurial growth.
We’ll see how ‘Imagination’ isn’t just a source of creativity but also a vital tool for innovation and crafting unique artistic expressions.
The significance of ‘Organized Planning’ will be examined, emphasizing how essential time management and organizational skills are for our projects and overall career development.
We will also get into the role of ‘Decision-making’ in art, drawing lessons from decisive moments in the careers of successful artists.
The ‘Persistence’ section will highlight strategies to maintain resilience amidst challenges, accompanied by inspirational stories of artists who have demonstrated remarkable perseverance.
And, under the principle of ‘Mastermind’, we’ll explore the power of collaboration and networking, illustrating how a supportive community can significantly enhance our creative success.
I hope you join me next week as we continue to uncover the rich insights Think and Grow Rich offers to artists and creative entrepreneurs. We’ll dive into how Napoleon Hill’s timeless wisdom can be applied to fuel our creative journeys and catalyze our professional growth.
That’s it for this issue of The Intentional Artist.
As always, if this resonated or was of help, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Artfully yours,
Chris
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