Thriving Artists Podcast Thrive Together Network

This episode of the podcast is inspired by an Art & Tea session that we call the Artist Timeline. We ask TTN members to look back over the past 6 years, and for each year write down art practice and art business highlights. Seeing evidence of your past accomplishments builds your confidence muscle and this is so important for artists because we need to remember that we have been successful in the past to push ourselves to keep going. In Episode 57 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How Looking Back Can Help You Move Forward,  we talk about how to be our own cheerleader by taking a look at the evidence of how far we have come. 
 
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Things to Help you Look Back in Order to Move Forward are:
See How Far You’ve Come: Take a look at your Artist Timeline and really take in the evidence of your past accomplishments. We have to put ourselves and our work out in the world so often and we need to remember that we have a track record of past accomplishments!
You Are Doing a Lot: During the day to day, it is easy to forget how much you accomplish in the big picture. Being an artist is about playing a long game, so keep that timeline at the ready to remember that your daily work is part of a bigger goal.
Things Add Up: Don’t get discouraged by the small tasks! They accumulate into something much bigger. They will count and they can be added to your timeline for this year and beyond. They will matter. 
Recognize Your Consistency: Over the arc of your career there are themes, opportunities, and work you have done that reveals a pattern of what you are accomplishing. Use your timeline to intentionally focus on these consistent themes. 
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists!  Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming for 2024! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
 

We’ve been looking ahead to the new year in recent episodes, but today we will address the fact that not everyone feels excited about the new year. Some of you have had a tough year and need time to process or heal from it. Or, maybe you are in a big season of doubt or confusion as an artist. All of this can impact how we feel going into a new year. Join us for Episode 56 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How to Anticipate A Great Year Ahead (Even When You Have Your Doubts), as we discuss a few simple suggestions for bringing some positive anticipation into your life this time of year, whether you are feeling excited or not. 
Jamie and Kaylan’s Tips for Anticipating a Great Year Ahead:

Enter into Deeper Awareness: Do some reflection and write about your past year. Writing how you really feel and reflecting with honesty can help you find a lot of gratitude. This can bring you into a deeper understanding for where you are currently at with things in your life. 

Set Firmer Boundaries: Many of us struggle with stressful anticipation and doubt because we are actually experiencing a lack of boundaries or security in our present moment. Ask yourself where you need to set some firmer boundaries and what is contributing to your stress right now. Evaluate where you can carve out more time and space for yourself.
Move Forward with Self-Compassion: You have done, and you are doing SO MUCH dear artist. You deserve a medal, a gold star, and a cash prize just for being an artist. It is such hard work. Please be kind to yourself this time of year and always. Recognize that you are human and you deserve softness and grace and understanding.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists!  Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming for 2024! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
 

Today we are sharing a timely episode about planning for the new year. We talked in the last episode about how to plan during any time of year, but today we will take a look at how to wrap up one year and plan ahead for the next amazing year as an artist. So, join us in Episode 54, How to Map Out Your Year as an Artist, as we cover how to assess the longer term picture of the previous year and how to use that information going forward! 

Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Ways to Map Out Your Year are: 
Brain Dump: Have a big brainstorming session and write down every goal and idea you have for the year ahead. You will not take action on every goal you write down, so don’t be afraid to dream big. This is your space to let it flow. 
Sort by Size: It’s important to sort the goals you really want to do by size and spend some time thinking about how much effort and energy will go into each goal. We recommend sorting your goals by big, medium and small. This will go a long way in setting you up for solid time management practices.

Identify Your “No’s”: Spend some time writing down what you will NOT do or not focus on in the new year. This activity is valuable because it helps you form concrete boundaries and stay focused on your goals. Think quality over quantity!
Set Up a System: Get yourself organized by setting mile markers for planning and create a goal setting strategy. Book planning and goal setting strategy times into your calendar for the start of the new year and moving ahead each week, month and quarter. 

Reflect & Rest: Don’t skip this one!! It may be the hardest to find time for, especially around the holidays but we really encourage you to set aside some time to write and reflect on the year you’ve just had. 

As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists!  Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming that sets up a planning structure for you! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!

Whether you’re a parent, caretaker, working another job, or a full time artist, we want to talk about ways to plan smarter as an artist! You may love planning like us, you may hate it, or maybe you are somewhere in between. Whatever the case, we can all use ideas for how to improve our planning. Join us for Episode 54 of Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Simple Ways to Plan Smarter as an Artist, because this is the perfect time of year to reflect on how you plan as we wrap up 2023.

Jamie & Kaylan’s 5 Simple Ways to Plan Smarter as an Artist are:
Schedule in Time for Planning: Plan a time to plan! Planning IS a task that needs to happen and so it is important to put that planning time in your calendar. It takes time to get set up in order to do what you want to do with your days!

Plan Your Year in Quarters: We really believe in this philosophy and live it out on the Thrive Together Network – planning out each quarter has many benefits! Planning out three months at a time is a perfect chunk of time to set some larger goals without losing sight of the smaller steps it takes to make them happen.
Move from Macro to Micro (and back again!): Whether you are a big picture type of person or someone who is all about the details, we encourage you to find balance between the two. Keep both in mind as you set goals, create to do lists, and schedule out your work time.
Follow a Map with Other Artists: We created a planning tool that values all of the things we cover in this episode. It’s the Thriving Artist Map and it is a weekly studio planner with tools to plan your year while considering the big picture and smaller goals all at once.
Remain Rooted in Your Why: For any plan you make, always keep an eye on why you are doing what you do. Don’t work toward things that are outside of your motivations. Regularly check in to make sure your plans match up with your goals. 
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists!  Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
 

Today Kaylan is solo on the podcast to talk about her experience with stress and some resources for dealing with “Open Loops” that can cause us stress as  artists*. This discussion is centered around a very specific type of stress created by having many things on your plate that are not yet complete. Artists especially experience this type of stress frequently because we wear so many hats and are responsible for so much. There are so many different types of jobs artists are expected to do within our business and many of us have other jobs, caretaking responsibilities or more on our plates.


Our brains can only hold so much in our active memory. These thoughts that continuously loop in our brains, or “Open Loops” can weigh us down mentally & emotionally over time. Open Loops are: things you've started and haven't finished, tasks or ideas that are 'on hold' in your brain and that occupy your active thoughts. So, tune in to learn a few tips to deal with these Open Loop from brain dumps to the “3 D’s”: delete, delegate, and do!


We hope you can continue to join us here on the podcast or come be an artist we can really get to know by joining our network! Head to www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more. The “Open Loops” episode is exactly the type of thing we walk you through each week on Art & Tea, our Tuesday zoom calls with dozens of artists that are included in your TTN membership.


*Just a reminder that Kaylan is not a therapist and anyone struggling with severe anxiety or health related issues due to stress should seek support from their physician or counselor.
 

One of the beautiful things about being an artist is that we all structure our careers a bit differently, and while we can learn from each other, our paths will never look exactly the same. Today on the podcast we are sharing some questions from the “Building Your North Star” activity we do once a year during one of our weekly Thrive Together Network meetings called Art & Tea. So, join us for Episode 52 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 4 Questions to Help You Find Focus in Your Art Career to identify what you want your unique art career to look like!

Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Questions to Help You Find Focus in Your Art Career are:
What matters most to you as an artist and how do you most want to spend your time? These are very basic points, but powerful when you think about it. Our time truly is our most valuable resource. It connects DIRECTLY to what matters most to us. So what do you want to spend your time doing?? 
What are your main gifts as an artist and what do you feel good doing? This question is important because it puts your unique strengths into the equation. Find the balance between your passion and your strongest skill sets, and keep in mind that this might change over time!
How do you want to feel as an artist? This question is about the big picture. Do you want to be on-the-go and moving a lot as an artist? Do you want to feel rooted and calm with lots of downtime in your studio? What are the overall, big picture feelings you want to have for your art career and your life?
What impact do you want your work to make in the world?  This is also a big picture question that will take time to answer. If you know what your intentions are, it can provide so much clarity in what steps to take now in your practice. Give some thought to what you want your work to say and do, and think about what conversations you want people to have about your work. Focus on impact to gain clarity.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists!  Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support and participate in more activities like this one! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!