S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Step 3: Expand What’s Possible
Step 3 of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Roadmap to Success method for achieving your goals is “Explore all the ways to get there.” Most people, when they Set a Goal, jump right into action doing all the things they know to do in order to achieve that goal. The problem is that they don’t know what they […]
The Devil on Your Shoulder
In my life, I’ve done a lot of work with the critic’s voice, learning techniques and getting quite good at transforming my inner critic to support and inform my forward progress (rather than criticize and impede it). I’ve gotten to the point where, these days, I rarely hear a critical voice in my head. And […]
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Step 1: Starting Point Assessment – Where Are You NOW?
Once they’ve set a goal, most people make the mistake of jumping right into action doing the stuff they think they should. But how can you successfully plan for a journey without knowing where you’re starting from? In any journey from Point A to Point B – identifying Point A (your starting point) will enable […]
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Step 4: How to Create The Plan
Once they’ve set a goal, most people make the mistake of jumping right into action doing the stuff they think they should. Which may get them to a level of success, but more often they get stuck at that level, because they are only doing what they already know to do – And they don’t […]
How to Manage Cash Flow for Your Art Business
Do you know the number 1 reason businesses fail? Cash Flow. Or to use business terminology, insufficient capital or operating funds. Knowing how to manage your finances (business and personal), manage your cash flow and plan your cash flow management is critical to your success. In this class Debra will show you how to take […]
Get the Learning – the 5th Key to Maintaining Focus in the Face of Chaos
As I teach in How to Use Feedback and Criticism Constructively, every experience is fodder for growth and development, if you are willing to get the learning. Assessing and adjusting as you go will make you more successful, because the ability to be flexible and adapt to changing conditions is a key success principle. So, […]
Clear the Plate – the 2nd Key to Maintaining Focus
In the first installment of this series we created a big brainstorm list of all the stuff that makes up the chaos. Just to remind you of the overview: 5 Keys to Manage Chaos Acknowledge the reality of your current circumstances Take everything off the plate that you can Ask for help Manage your emotions […]
Embrace Your Unique Voice as an Artist
This is primarily directed to artists, but really, it applies to all of us. Being a unique voice in a world that values sameness can be a rough row to hoe. As children, we’re taught, encouraged, sometimes even bludgeoned and beaten into sameness. Don’t be too loud. Don’t show how smart you are. Don’t blow […]
Don’t be a Needy Artist
Over the past few years, since I started doing the Ask Coach Debra Calls and being more active on Twitter and Facebook, I’ve had many encounters that go something like this:
How to Embrace Your Unique Voice as an Artist
As children we are taught, by our parents, our teachers, our siblings and our peers, that in order to be loved, we must blend in. We must conform our uniqueness to be “appropriate”. And its an important skill to have – to know society’s rules and be able to act accordingly with volition. But as […]