Jeff Goins's Blog, page 15

How to Make Your Big Break with Caleb Rexius

Most of us are waiting for our Big Break. And that’s the worst way to succeed. We’ll examine two artists to see why — and what we should do instead.

Lesson from the present

On this episode of The Portfolio Life, I introduce you to the artist who created my last two book trailers: Caleb Rexius. The trailers for The Art of Work and Real Artists Don’t Starve receive so much praise that I had to bring him on the show.

I quickly realized the interview was going to be something more than a talk about trailers. It turned into a conversation about not waiting for your big break. Caleb made his own break in 2010 when he asked his boss to buy him a camera and let him produce a commercial.

He made his own break when his brother Saul won a contest to be on the cover of the Baxter Family book series. Caleb saw the book trailers, a new concept for him, and made one with his brother that they sent to author Karen Kingsbury.

She loved it and passed it on to her publisher. The publishers were so impressed that they hired Caleb to create three more trailers for them. More publishers retained Caleb until he transitioned into creating trailers full-time. Today, his clients include some of the largest publishers in the world.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).

Show highlights

In this episode, Caleb shares with us:

How many years it took him to build a full-time book trailer business
The story of how he landed Random House as a client
How he defines a big break and if you should wait for one
Why video is so powerful
When you should make a book trailer and when you should not

“You have to be in business first if you want a long-term sustainable career.Caleb RexiusTweet thisTweet
Lesson from history

When a young Michelangelo Buonarroti approached Domenico Ghirlandaio, the famous Florentine artist, he must have had a lump in his throat.

The boy was barely a teenager and about to ask one of Florence’s most fashionable painters to train him. What’s more, his father Lodavico was pressuring him into being the family’s sole breadwinner, which did not jibe with his own ambitions of becoming a sculptor.

In a monumental moment for both men, the aspiring artist met his elder with what must have been a combination of both fear and respect. Many young Florentines would have been honored to even meet the man, but the boy wanted more.

As the story goes, Michelangelo not only asked for an apprenticeship but had the audacity to request compensation.

This was outrageous. In the Renaissance, apprentices did not get paid. If anything, they paid their way through their education. Anyone in Ghirlandaio’s studio witnessing the event would have stared at the boy’s request with abject horror.

Whatever the master must have felt — at first outrage and maybe then amusement — he surprised everyone, maybe even Michelangelo, by accepting the offer. The boy got to work and quickly learned to paint under the tutelage of his new master.

It was about a year or two later that Michelangelo left the studio of Ghirlandaio to continue his apprenticeship in the Medici palace at the personal request of Lorenzo de Medici, one of the wealthiest art patrons at the time.

And thus, a star was born.

Don’t wait for your big break

Stories like this often get dismissed as happy coincidences. Serendipity. We tend to think of what happened to Michelangelo as a “Big Break,” that wonderful moment when someone discovers your talent and makes all your dreams come true.

Many of us wait for such a moment, and when it doesn’t come we assume it was never meant to be. And everything about that assumption is wrong.

As Walter Matthau once said to a young actor who had recently moved to Hollywood and was waiting for his Big Break: “Kid, it’s not the one big break. It’s the fifty big breaks.”

“Kid, it’s not the one big break. It’s the fifty big breaks.Walter MatthauTweet thisTweet

As I wrote in Real Artists Don’t Starve, the Big Break is a myth. Something we tell themselves out of laziness and fear of the work ahead. If Big Breaks do happen, we’d be better off not counting on them and focusing on what we cancontrol — the work.

So what should we do if not wait for our Big Break? We should do what Michelangelo did. We should practice, and we should prepare.

Practice when no one’s watching

Long before entering Ghirlandaio’s studio, Michelangelo was practicing. He was not waiting for his Big Break; he was doing the work. Before he was an actual apprentice, he was acting like an apprentice.

That meant learning from whomever he could from. He knew he wanted to be an artist and that he could not become great on his own, no matter how talented he might be. No amount of natural ability can compete with diligent practice. So the boy used the opportunities that were available to him.

Michelangelo had cousins who worked in a nearby quarry every day. In fact, he was raised by this family for a short time in his youth. This allowed him the chance to familiarize himself with stone, a skill that would be invaluable to him later in life as a sculptor.

He adopted the attitude of a student, learning from anyone who could teach him. So when an opportunity came, he would be ready.

That’s what being an apprentice is all about: not just making big asks but taking the work seriously from the beginning. What will make you stand out from the crowd is not just the audacity to ask but the humility to learn.

“What will make you stand out from the crowd is not just the audacity to ask but the humility to learn.Tweet thisTweet

All that practice paid off, because in no time, Michelangelo began to stand out amongst his peers. Soon, he was being recommended by Ghirlandaio to study under Bertoldo di Giovanni, an Italian sculptor who had studied under the great Donatello.

That simple move to the palace changed the young artist’s fate forever. But it never would have happened had he not been practicing the whole time.

If you wait for your Big Break, when it comes, you will squander it. We can’t control when or how these moments come; but we can be ready for them — first by practicing, then by making the most of them.

Prepare for lucky moments

So if Big Breaks don’t exist, does this mean we should rule out the role of luck in success? Of course not.

We all get lucky at some point, sometimes without realizing it until after the fact. But luck is a fickle friend. As soon as you find her, Lady Luck will leave you when you need her the most.

“Luck is a fickle friend and unfaithful mistress. As soon as you find her, Lady Luck will leave you when you need her the most.Tweet thisTweet

You can’t count on luck. What you can do, however, is prepare for the likelihood that good fortune will visit you at some point.

In his book Great by Choice, author Jim Collins compares the performance of enduringly great companies to average companies. Collins demonstrates that the more successful companies had about the same amount of “luck” (defined as unlikely but fortunate events) as less successful companies.

What separated the successes from the failures was the fact that the successful companies got a “return on their luck” and the unsuccessful ones did not. In other words, they did something with the opportunity they had.

Opportunities come — either by putting ourselves in the right place at the right time or simply by sticking around long enough. But good opportunities lead to great work when we make the most of them.

When Lorenzo asked Ghirlandaio what two apprentices he should bring into the palace, the painter recommended two artists: Michelangelo and a friend. But history only remembers one — the one who used his opportunity and leveraged it for a lifetime of creative success.

In the palace, Michelangelo was educated alongside the Medici children who would eventually become popes and princes and wealth art patrons. He befriended them, and apparently the friendship paid off.

After leaving the palace, Michelangelo began earning ten times what other artists of his era were making. He would go on to become the wealthiest artist of his time, earning a fortune worth nearly $50 million today.

This doesn’t mean you can plan or orchestrate these moments. You can’t. But if you work hard and understand that luck comes to us all, you can be ready to get a return on your luck.

Lastly, be patient

Few things in life come easy. And if they do, they rarely stay. So plan for the work, not the break. Because you can control that. Just be prepared to be invisible for a while.

Because nobody notices you when you’re getting up at five a.m. for an entire year to write on a blog no one reads.

Nobody cares about you when you’re doing free gigs in dive bars seven days a week just for the exposure.

And nobody sees you pulling all nighters just to get the website working.

Except of course, when they do. When the hard work pays off and people tell you how you just “came out of nowhere.” But by then, it’s too late. The myth is already born.

“Be prepared to be invisible for a while.Tweet thisTweet

Now, you have thousands of fans, and people tell you that, kid, you’re a natural. And of course, you agree with them, because it feels good.

But you did not come out of nowhere. You came from the same place they did. You just didn’t stay there. You didn’t take a leap. You built a bridge. You put yourself in the right place at the right time and did the work.

You didn’t wait for luck. You looked for it. You practiced and prepared for those opportunities. And when the time was right, you were ready to make the most of whatever chance you got.

Of course, that took time. Maybe it’s still taking time. For now, you are patient, focusing on what you can control. It’s a slog, but a beautiful one and in the end will be worth it.

Good things come to those who work

So now you know. There are no Big Breaks, only tiny drips of effort that lead to waves of momentum. The harder things are, the longer they last, and the more you appreciate them.

We can’t wait for luck. But we can prepare for it, understanding that there will be many lucky — and unlucky — breaks throughout our lives. But it’s not luck that leads to success. It’s perseverance.

“It’s not luck that leads to success. It’s perseverance.Tweet thisTweet

The choice, then, is up to you. Finding your fifty breaks will not be easy or quick, but if you persevere, it will happen.

Your job is to show up and do your work consistently and well enough that it’s worth noticing. Practice, prepare, and be patient.

Good things grow over time with care and intention. Don’t wait for your Big Break. Recognize the one you already have. And make the most of it.

The world is waiting (but you shouldn’t be).

Resources

Caleb Rexius’ web site
Caleb Rexius on Twitter
Caleb Rexius on Instagram
Caleb Rexius on Vimeo 
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Important, popular, or viral by Seth Godin
Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes

What inspired action are you going to take after listening to Caleb today? Let us know in the comments.

20 Tips to Wow an Audience and Own the Stage

Create a connection that allows you to affect the audience intellectually, emotionally, and physically.

As we prepare for this year’s event, I wanted to share highlights from past Tribe Conferences with you, including this presentation from Michael Port.

How to wow an audience and own the stage

Michael Port is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, professional actor, and public speaking coach. He used index cards to engage the Tribe Conference attendees and shared 20 tips to wow an audience and own the stage:

Never speak until the room is silent.
Never use your voice to call the room back.
Shorten your bio. It only needs to show that you know what the audience needs.
Do not waste time with filler. Get started.
Do not head straight for center stage. Start as soon as the audience sees you.
Never apologize for the time you do not have. Own the time you do have.
Tell your audience why you care about your topic.
Surprise your audience. Do not tell them over and over.
Demonstrate you understand the way the world looks to the audience.
Create a connection that allows you to affect them intellectually, emotionally, and physically.
Connect your ideas for the audience. If you use an outline, ensure you deliver.
Don’t slow down. Pause to give your audience time to consume what you said.
Plan your movements. Move and talk, but keep the big moments center stage.
When your point is essential, stand and land it. Stillness drives the point home.
Don’t turn your back on the audience, unless it’s intentional to make a point.
Memorize your quotes. Avoid slides and distracting visuals.
Serve the audience, no matter what.
You deliver the impact. Use technology to enhance your delivery, not as a crutch.
Always say yes. Don’t give up the room, but say yes and respond in the moment.
Learn how to rehearse. Perfect your content and cater it to the audience.

Click here to download all 50 tips from Michael Port.

“Don’t think about your rehearsal, but instead get in the moment with the audience.Michael PortTweet thisTweet

Would you like to learn more incredible tips and techniques from more than a dozen thought leaders like Michael who’ve been in your shoes? Join me this year at Tribe Conference and make an investment in your education.

To listen to Michael Port’s presentation on The Portfolio Life, click the player below.

Building a Business Around Your Personal Brand

Life keeps evolving. Business keeps changing. But building a personal brand has never been easier.

As we prepare for this year’s event, I wanted to share highlights from past Tribe Conferences with you, including this presentation from Chris Ducker.

Building a Business Around the Brand That is You with Chris Ducker

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It’s never been easier to build a brand because the barrier to entry has never been lower. The internet has allowed us all to be on equal footing. The online business space offers complete and total justice.

When you build an online company, you create a personal brand. Here are the keys to building a business around the brand that is you:

Be original
Solve a problem
Build relationships
Reverse engineer success

Be original

Being yourself is the ultimate ‘x’ factor that allows you to design products, package them, market them, deliver them, and make money off of them. With so much competition and so many industries, it’s harder than ever to be original than at any time in history. Be yourself. It’s the only thing only you can do.

“Being different is better than being better.Chris DuckerTweet thisTweet
Solve a problem

At our very core, as entrepreneurs, we are problem solvers. Figure out how to provide solutions for your audience. Solve a problem. Help them. Make a living doing it. What you do to solve people’s problems becomes your brand. And what people say about you when you’re not around is your brand.

At the very core of your brand is the importance of being original. Whatever you’re doing, you must do it right. Doing it right is more important than just doing it.

“Serve, don’t sell.Chris DuckerTweet thisTweet
Build relationships

If you solve problems with your products and your services, you’ll never formally have to sell.

Market like a magnet. Attract the best. Repel the rest. You attract people who respond favorably to your message. Your vibe will attract your tribe.

Forget about Business-To-Business and Business-To-Consumer models, and think instead about the People-To-People model of doing business. People want to do business with other people they trust.

Don’t cozy up to get something from them in the future. Relationships should be treasured, not just used for future profit and gain.

“No matter what you do, charge what you are worth and do not apologize.Tweet thisTweet
Reverse engineer success

Reverse engineer what you want to achieve from a financial perspective. Determine your yearly profit target and then break it down into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily targets. You will find your desired income is closer than you think.

All you have to do is serve your audience by producing several streams of income. Don’t build them all at the same time, but one at a time, including:

Books
Online courses
Download workshops and workbooks
Ebooks
Online events
Web events
Live events
Affiliate marketing
Coaching
Speaking

To listen to Chris Ducker’s presentation on The Portfolio Life, click the player below.

Most Conferences Are a Waste of Money… Unless You Do This

Have you grabbed your ticket to the Tribe Conference yet? Early bird pricing goes away July 1st! Find out more here.

When I first starting writing, I heard people talk about conferences. They said go to this one or that one. It was a good way to “connect.” But what was I, a shy guy, going to do at a conference?

I’d also heard the case against conferences. The crowds. The unnecessary expenses. The inspirational but ultimately un-actionable content you tend to get. I just wasn’t sure the investment was going to be worth the cost, for me.

But then, on a whim, I forked up the cash for a conference and was blown away at the content and the experience. That was the place where I first started calling myself a writer. I was hooked.

I also recorded a special podcast to expand on my thoughts. You can listen to by clicking the player below.

And so it began…

Shortly after that, I found a way to volunteer my services as a writer to attend another conference. I didn’t expect much from the conference but wanted to get to know the event planner better.

After four life-changing days, I began to drop some of my skepticism about conferences. And over the course of about six months, I began building a network, organically and somewhat accidentally, of writers and bloggers and people whom I would soon call “friend.”

Within a year, I had formed some of the most important relationships in writing career — many of which came from conferences, meetups, and other kinds of events. In fact, it was at a conference in Chicago, eating panini sandwiches, that I met an editor who published my first two books.

In the world of writing, an important step to success is forming the right relationships. In fact, I think this is true in many different industries, but it seems to be especially true for creative ones. Who you know matters. And a great way to meet more people is to attend conferences.

You can’t do this alone

This journey towards becoming a writer is not a solitary one. You will need help. You will need guides and mentors and peers to help you find your way.

This is the secret to success that few people like to admit: no successful person ever succeeds alone. Just as Hemingway went to Paris in the 1920s to be around some of the most interesting literary minds of the century, you, too, will have to find a tribe you can learn from.

But if you’re not careful, you can totally waste your time and money going to the wrong conferences. You can just go from inspiration to inspiration without any practical application. So it’s important that you know how to make the most of your investment, if you decide to register for a conference.

Here are a few goals you need to have when attending a conference if you don’t want the experience to be a waste. These are lessons I learned from attending conferences and from hosting one myself, and I hope they help you.

Goal #1: Learn

You need to go to a conference that has the kind of speakers you respect and want to learn from.

I can’t learn from someone who hasn’t done what I want to do. It’s a personal preference but an important one. I must be learning from people who have done the thing that I want to do. Otherwise, I feel like it’s a waste.

Also, a secondary but significant goal for me at a conference is to meet one of the speakers. This is easier than it sounds, actually. It doesn’t have to be some A-list presenter, but the point of an event is connection with people, and you’d be surprised at how accessible some “celebrities” are.

I first learned this when I attended World Domination Summit and asked, out of the blue, if Chris Brogan would be willing to meet me in person. He replied to my email, saying he’d love to. We played it by ear and ended up skipping a session, chatting in the lobby.

By the end of our conversation, there was a small crowd surrounding Chris, peppering him with questions. I didn’t mind. Here was a blogger whom I respected and had only interacted with online, and we had just spent an hour together, chatting. We’ve been friends ever since. I don’t remember the session that I missed, but I know I was able to watch it online later.

How to do this:

Reach out to the person ahead of time to book a meeting at the conference. Once the event starts, everyone will want to meet these people. So just email them a week in advance, asking for 15 minutes of their time.
Offer to buy them a meal or coffee. Something. Demonstrate that you’re not a taker, but a giver.
Do this whenever it is convenient for them. Early in the morning, late at night whatever. When Chris emailed me back and asked if I could meet him in the lobby in five minutes, I immediately grabbed my stuff and left the auditorium.

Lesson: You can meet influential and important people at conferences if you are willing to make sacrifices.
Goal #2: Connect

Second, you need to go to conference that has the kind of attendees you want to be around.

Who, exactly, is that?

Well, it should be people like you. When I hosted the Tribe Conference last year, I was amazed at how many people said that was their first conference ever. What made them want to attend it? They didn’t know there was a place where they could go and people others just like them.

I’ve had this same experience as an attendee at several events. There’s something powerful when you end up some place and instantly feel like you belong.

For me, I don’t want to go some place where I can’t tolerate the people attending the event, no matter how good the content is. This is why I don’t attend many business and marketing events. I just don’t love being around that crowd.

Perhaps the most memorable part of an event is the conversations you’ll have in the hotel lobby or outside the bathroom in between sessions. It’s the late-night hangouts or random lunches with strangers that will stick with you. So you want to get some place where people “get” you.

What does this matter? Because if you go to enough conferences with jerks and swindlers and people who represent values you don’t want, well, some of that just might rub off on you. You are the company you keep, so choose to hang with the kind of people who will make you better.

My first conference, I sheepishly attended a meetup for bloggers and was too nervous to introduce myself to anyone. Nonetheless, another blogger named Kyle whom I knew from Twitter came up to me and said hi. We stayed in touch and became close friends after that (we just had lunch the other day).

Later, he told me that he could tell I was nervous and that’s why he approached me in the first place. This is what you want — people who get you, who will make you feel comfortable, even when you are unsure of yourself.

What I learned from Kyle is that we can all do this. So the very next conference I attended, I found someone who looked nervous and was clinging to the wall, and introduced myself. Worked like a charm.

How to do this:

Go to the event (this is important but something we shy people tend to overlook — yes, you actually have to show up).
Find someone less confident than you — because when you’re shy and unsure of yourself it’s hard to approach someone who is larger than life. So just find someone who is looking around the room, lost.
Say hi to this person and ask them this question: “What are you hoping to get out of this conference?”

If you need more help with this, check out this old interview I did to on how even as a shy guy I am able to meet new people at conferences.

Lesson: You can make lasting relationships at conferences if you go where people like you already are and meet people who are just as nervous as you are.
Goal #3: Apply

Third, you need to go to a conference with the intention of not just learning but of applying what you will learn. This means that the conference must have the kind of information that will make you better.

In other words, the content has to be more than just basic stuff you can Google. It needs to include exclusive teaching or access to the speaker or a brand-new application of it.

When I started attending a few conferences a year, I realized that what I wanted was not just a good experience but a transformation. To take home with me the things that I had learned and be able to apply to my own context.

So I started making a habit of putting into practice the things I learned at the conference before I even left the event. Forget notebooks filled with information you’ll never look at again; this is the best way to get your money’s worth out of a conference. Just do it before you leave.

I learned this from my friend Danny Iny when I saw him pull out his computer in the middle of a speaking session at a conference and send an email to his assistant.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m telling my team to start doing this right now.”

He then proceeded to tell me his rule for attending conferences: find three actionable nuggets and put them into practice before the event is over. Once you’ve done that, you can enjoy the rest of the event, guilt-free.

I saw him do this several times throughout the conference and decided to make that same practice a habit.

How to do this:

Decide ahead of time what you want to get out of the experience.
When you hear something that resonates with you, step aside to put the thing into practice. That could mean taking a break or simply emailing yourself a to-do item.
Set a quota (e.g. “I’m going to immediately apply three things I learn at this conference”) and give yourself permission to stop once you’re done.

Lesson: Going to a conference won’t be a life-changing experience unless you are willing to be changed by the experience itself.
Why I created my own conference

There are a lot of conferences and events out there. A lot of paid mastermind groups and summits and experiences to keep you busy for a long, long time. Honestly, it’s easy to pick the wrong thing. It’s easy to get swept up by where everyone else is going and what everyone else is doing.

But that shouldn’t concern you. You need to go where you know you can learn from people you trust, connect with people you respect, and apply information you need.

After attending conferences for the past four years, one thing struck me as a writer. There aren’t many options available for writers and creatives who want to thrive in the modern age. There aren’t many places that help you understand where to begin, who to connect with, and what plan to follow after you leave the event.

In fact, I knew that the kind of conference I needed when I first started writing did not even exist. So I tried to cobble together some disparate experiences by attending a number of different events, but that became harder and harder to do year after year.

So I decided to create my own.

When people come together, life change happens. One person told me, it was “the best conference” they’d ever attended. Another told me it was the only one they’d ever attended.

But the truth is for a conference to make a difference, it has to have the right people, with the right message, delivered in the right way. Otherwise, you will waste your money.

That’s what the Tribe Conference is all about. It’s a place where writers, creatives, and artists can gather to share their messages and grow in their craft. It’s an event that gives you the practical known-how and inspiration to take the next step in finding the audience your message deserves.

What happens at a good conference

One attendee of the Tribe Conference, David Villalva, had this to say after leaving the event:

Every presenter and attendee I spoke with changed, challenged, or charged me. I arrived at this conference thinking I needed to somehow survive it. Instead, I discovered what it meant to be part of a tribe, and left feeling like I thrived in one.

I’ll be the first to admit that the reaction to our little event surprised me. But this was my goal: to create a place of belonging and transformation. And this is what I look for as an attendee of other events — to belong and to be changed.

Nearly half of last year’s attendees are coming back to the Tribe Conference because they’re making progress on the plans they started last year. Whether that means launching a blog or finishing a book, they’re taking action. And they want learning, connecting, and applying. It’s an honor to be a part of this growing community.

Last year was our “pilot” year to see if it worked, and it went even better than I could have imagined. This year is going to be even bigger and better, with expert speakers, brand-new technology and tools we will be featuring, and more fun surprises.

If you’ve ever dreamed of being a professional writer, then Tribe Conference is for you.

If you have struggled to figure out how to use digital technology to get your message heard, then Tribe Conference is for you.

If you dream of one day writing a book or speaking for a living or simply getting the attention your message deserves, then Tribe Conference is for you.

To check out the schedule, learn more about ticket pricing, and sign up before we sell out, go here.

If you’d like to get going on that dream of yours and connect with a whole host of speakers including Alli Worthington, Amy Landino, Todd Henry, Tim Grahl, Janet Murray, and others, then sign up for Tribe before the price goes up.

Join us October 26–28 in Franklin, TN at the Tribe Conference. It’s going to be great!

What has been your best conference experience? Share in the comments.

3 Lessons on Becoming a Professional Writer from Tribe Conference Speakers

Tribe Conference is a gathering of writers, artists, and other creatives who want to grow their craft and get the attention their work deserves.

As we prepare for this year’s event, I wanted to share some highlights from past Tribe Conferences with you that included presentations from Emily P. Freeman, Marion Roach Smith, and The Story Grid duo of Shawn Coyne and Tim Grahl.

Uncovering your voice with Emily P. Freeman

Emily believes our default mode is to have a mediocre voice, and that we’re not alone in our struggle to make the change from sounding average to uncovering our authentic voice. She shared three keys to help us do just that:

Frustration. What’s bothering you? Start there. Finding your most authentic voice is discovering what gets under your skin. Push ideas you think are worth addressing forward.
Passion. Pay attention to what makes you cry. Your tears are tiny messengers from the deepest place of your heart. If you cry a lot, pay attention to the tears that burn. If you rarely cry, pay close attention to the times you do.
Hope. We need to believe that sharing our voice can make a difference.

You can uncover your voice with only two of these three, but it won’t be your authentic voice. Instead, it will be a mediocre voice developed by a false formula:

Frustration and Passion. Without hope, your writing turns into a cynical rant.
Frustration and Hope. Certain things frustrate you, but you optimistically hope they’ll get better. You lack the passion for actively promoting a cause and instead settle for rote duty.
Passion and Hope. This voice is like a Hallmark movie: it’s sweet, comfortable, and boringly optimistic.

Paying attention to all three keys in our lives will help us find the sweet spot to uncovering our voice.

“We need people that write with hope.Emily P. FreemanTweet thisTweet
The benefits of writing with Marion Roach Smith

Marion Roach Smith left a great job at the New York Times to pursue her true passions: writing and living any place she pleased. She shares the benefits of writing and the secrets of doing it well.

The benefits of writing:

It will turn you into a Zen master by forcing you to live in the moment. Open yourself up to feeling and reacting to your experiences. Then write about them.
It will force you to embrace a thrilling life of crime. Write everything you hear down and quote everyone. If you quote them, it’s not stealing. But you will still steal like crazy.
It will help you win any argument. You learn to explain complex issues with simple ingredients.
It will help you become a super athlete. You learn to experience the pain of life and play hurt. Writers feel, experience, and react to pain by writing about it.
It will improve your sex life. Your life improves when you learn not to share your writing with your family.

“Never read your stuff to someone who depends on you for food, sex, or shelter.Marion Roach SmithTweet thisTweet
Turning pro with Tim Grahl and Shawn Coyne

After spending a decade in a shadow career that was very close to being an author, Tim Grahl decided to apprentice under Shawn Coyne to not only learn how to write fiction (a story that works) but also what it takes to become a professional writer.

Shawn summarizes that Resistance, a term coined by Steven Pressfield to describe internal struggle, keeps us from our calling and meaningful work. To beat it, you have to turn pro. Here is what Shawn and Tim have learned it takes to turn pro:

A pro is self-validating. A book deal, blog followers, agent, and book sales are all external validations that will fail to satisfy. A professional looks for approval within to see if she meets her standard.
A pro is patient. He doesn’t chase other people’s definition of success. He isn’t looking to be an overnight sensation. He builds habits and keeps working.
A pro seizes ground every day. She embraces the warrior mindset, identifies Resistance as the enemy, and fights for inches on the battlefield of creativity.
A pro does deliberate practice. It’s a lie that you have to be born with a unique talent to be a writer. Having innate storytelling ability is helpful, but the professional knows she doesn’t need a mystical gift. She learns the form and structure of a story and deliberately practices to hone her craft.

To listen to the interview portion of Shawn and Tim’s presentation on The Portfolio Life, click the player below. Their complete conversation plus an audience Q&A are included in the video above.

“The way to beat anything is to break it down into manageable tasks.Shawn CoyneTweet thisTweet

How ADHD Makes You a Better Writer: Interview with Ryan McRae

Have you ever considered how your disadvantages might actually be advantages Ryan McRae’s blog The ADHD Nerd is an example of this.

ADHD is Ryan’s challenge, and his website serves a real need for others. Launching his website has enabled him to help a niche audience and build a thriving community and business around it.

But The ADHD Nerd wasn’t Ryan’s first site. After attending the World Domination Summit, where I met Ryan years ago, he first started a blog called Master Presenting and wrote on it every week for a year.

Then, his friends encouraged him to find another audience to serve. This just wasn’t working.

Ryan went back to the drawing board and came up with another idea. Because he’s had ADHD all his life, Ryan has had to teach himself certain coping skills just to learn how to focus. His knowledge and experience have proven valuable to others with similar challenges.

On this episode of The Portfolio Life, Ryan shares how going to Afghanistan for a year helped him improve as a blogger and online community builder. He also tells how the advantages and disadvantages of having ADHD helped him grow an audience and business.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).

Show highlights

In this episode, Ryan tells us:

What did his year in Afghanistan teach him?
The question to ask to find out what you can offer to the world.
When to grow your list, and when to focus on creating content for your current subscribers.
What’s the difference between ADD and ADHD?
What is executive function and how is it different with ADHD?

“Ultimately you want to help people.Ryan McRaeTweet thisTweet
The ADHD Nerd

What did his first attempt at blogging teach him?
When did he know The ADHD Nerd was his “thing”?
How many people were on his email list after a year of blogging?
Why shouldn’t you post great content on a Saturday?
How Ryan continues to help and serve his audience today.

“You have to build the momentum.Ryan McRaeTweet thisTweet
Growing Your List

Who should you reach out to and who should you not?
How to make a plan for expanding your audience.
Can conferences help you grow your list?
What percentage of his blog posts were for his audience and what percentage were guest posts?
How to position your pitches for guest blog posting for others.

Resources

The ADHD Nerd web site
Master Presenting web site
Ryan McRae on Twitter
Ryan McRae on Video Fruit 
Forest app 
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes

What’s a personal challenge you’ve experienced that you can help others with now? Let us know in the comments.

How to Risk Like a Writer (or How I Got the Fourth Man to Walk on the Moon to Talk to Me)

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” –William Faulkner

Part of the job of a writer is to take risks, but not just the big, bold risks that can make or break a career. Often, it’s the small but significant risks that define who we become.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Real Artists Don’t Starve, I decided to not only share the lessons I learned writing the book, but also the lessons I learned from the courageous readers who applied the principles of the book and put them to work.

Not only do I want to share my thoughts with you in this post, but I also recorded a special episode of The Portfolio Life to expand on these valuable lessons. You can listen below, read the article, or do both.

Sometimes the things we think of as big risks aren’t that big. And some of the most significant transitions in your career won’t require you to take a leap but instead build a bridge. So which risks are worth taking, and which ones are not? Here are three regular risks you must take.

Do the work

You have to risk your comfort. That’s the first risk every writer must take. This is not easy work, and you will be tempted to mail it in. Don’t. Here’s an example.

Writing a book for me is a process of pulling together ideas and and stories figuring out what they all mean. While researching Real Artists Don’t Starve, my latest book, a friend recommended I talk to astronaut-turned-artist Alan Bean. As I looked a little closer at Alan’s story, I was convinced of two things:

It was perfect for my book.
He would never talk to me.

My initial response was this was never going to work. Alan would never talk to me. I knew it. I was certain of it. It was fact. I shot myself down before I even tried, because that was the easy thing to do.

That’s when my friend and writing mentor, Marion Roach, challenged me: “Don’t just do Internet research,” she said. “Do real research. Pick up the phone and call him.”

In other words, do the hard work.

Marion told me that to write a great book, you have to tell stories people have never heard before. To make a difference with your art, you have to try new things, connect dots that that have never been connected. You say things what have never been said before, at least not the way that you’re going to say it.

Casting aside my self-doubt, I emailed Alan and asked for an interview. A day later, he responded with his phone number and told me to call any time. I was stunned. Risking my comfort paid off. Alan and I ended up having a terrific conversation, which you can listen to here. His story also closed out the book and continues to resonate with readers.

The lesson is simple: Don’t take the easy route. Risk your comfort, and do the hard work. It pays off more than you think.

“Anytime you write a book, you’re not really sure what it’s going to be.Tweet thisTweet
Display your passion

You have to risk rejection. That’s the second risk we take as writers. This work is not for the faint of heart, because around every corner lurks someone waiting to reject you. Agents. Publishers. Critics. Even readers. You have to pick yourself before anyone else will.

One person who applied this lesson better than most is Rebeca Flott.

Rebecca is an artist who paints old window screens. She reached out to me on Instagram, and when I heard her story, I knew it deserved to be shared. After reading my book, Rebeca latched on to the one idea that you don’t have to starve to do your best work. She went after her dream, and today she is a full-time artist.

Here’s how she did it:

She sold her art to anyone who would buy it.
She taught her art to anyone who would listen.
She licensed her art to the right people who could help it spread.

As she was busy doing those things, practicing in public as I call it, someone offered Rebeca $100,000 to open up a physical shop where she could continue teaching others her art. She found a patron.

Here’s the lesson: When you risk rejection, not everyone rejects you. When decide you don’t need anyone’s permission to make your art, suddenly someone wants to help you. The universe conspires for your success.

It was when Rebeca took her art more seriously that others started taking her seriously. She risked rejection and leaned into her fear, and it paid off. Fear constrains us all, but if we want others to believe in us, we have to believe in us first. So don’t be afraid to put your passion on display for others to see. Who knows who you might attract.

“Begin with the assumption that there’s a yes out there.Tweet thisTweet
Don’t say no for other people

You have to risk failure. These risks, of course don’t always pay off. Sometimes, we fall on our faces, and we hit the ground. And it hurts. Still, we have to keep going. We can’t quit. The job of a writer is to persevere, even — no, especially — when we might fail.

Is it going to be easy? Of course not. You can do the hard work, display your passion, and still get rejected. And you’d think after learning my lesson from talking to Alan Bean that I’d be more comfortable with risk. But I’m not.

When I was working on the book, I wanted to reach out to a man named Rab Hatfield, the author whose book had been a major influence and in fact the basis for much of Real Artists Don’t Starve. A retired professor living in Italy, Professor Hatfield was nearly impossible to track down. His book The Wealth of Michelangelo took me six months alone to track down and cost $120.

So getting a quote from the author was important. But I knew I needed something fresh, not a regurgitated quote from The New York Times, an exclusive interview with the man himself. Still, I was unsure of myself.

I tried Googling him but couldn’t find a current email address. He had no blog. No public phone number. Nothing.

So I went to Twitter. There, I found a two year old photo of Professor Hatfield teaching a class, and I reached out to the person who had taken the photo. They said they did know the professor and would be willing to introduce me. After emailing Professor Hatfield, he sent me a prompt reply with his phone number.

The next morning, I called him on Skype, and we spoke for over an hour. “What else do you want to know?” he asked towards the end of our conversation, then proceeded to tell me all about the Mona Lisa.

It was after I stopped saying no, that I was genuinely able to get what I wanted.

Here’s the last lesson: Stop saying no for other people. You don’t know what their answer will be. Risk rejection and lean into those fears. I was able to meet these incredible people and help tell their stories but only after I dared to ask.

May you do the same.

“I completely believe you can make a living with your art.Tweet thisTweet

But how? It comes down to confidence and mindset. I believe you will find what you seek. If you’re looking for rejection, you’ll find that. And if you’re looking for acceptance, you’ll find that, too. We always find what we’re looking for… eventually.

And practically speaking, you don’t need 99 people to say yes. You just need one. It’s not your job to say no for them, and your “yes” may be closer than you think. Good luck.

What art will you have the courage to pursue? Share it with me in the comments.

How to Risk Like a Writer

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” –William Faulkner

Part of the job of a writer is to take risks, but not just the big, bold risks that can make or break a career. Often, it’s the small but significant risks that define who we become.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Real Artists Don’t Starve, I decided to not only share the lessons I learned writing the book, but also the lessons I learned from the courageous readers who applied the principles of the book and put them to work.

Not only do I want to share my thoughts with you in this post, but I also recorded a special episode of The Portfolio Life to expand on these valuable lessons. You can listen below, read the article, or do both.

Sometimes the things we think of as big risks aren’t that big. And some of the most significant transitions in your career won’t require you to take a leap but instead build a bridge. So which risks are worth taking, and which ones are not? Here are three regular risks you must take.

Do the work

You have to risk your comfort. That’s the first risk every writer must take. This is not easy work, and you will be tempted to mail it in. Don’t. Here’s an example.

Writing a book for me is a process of pulling together ideas and and stories figuring out what they all mean. While researching Real Artists Don’t Starve, my latest book, a friend recommended I talk to astronaut-turned-artist Alan Bean. As I looked a little closer at Alan’s story, I was convinced of two things:

It was perfect for my book.
He would never talk to me.

My initial response was this was never going to work. Alan would never talk to me. I knew it. I was certain of it. It was fact. I shot myself down before I even tried, because that was the easy thing to do.

That’s when my friend and writing mentor, Marion Roach, challenged me: “Don’t just do Internet research,” she said. “Do real research. Pick up the phone and call him.”

In other words, do the hard work.

Marion told me that to write a great book, you have to tell stories people have never heard before. To make a difference with your art, you have to try new things, connect dots that that have never been connected. You say things what have never been said before, at least not the way that you’re going to say it.

Casting aside my self-doubt, I emailed Alan and asked for an interview. A day later, he responded with his phone number and told me to call any time. I was stunned. Risking my comfort paid off. Alan and I ended up having a terrific conversation, which you can listen to here. His story also closed out the book and continues to resonate with readers.

The lesson is simple: Don’t take the easy route. Risk your comfort, and do the hard work. It pays off more than you think.

“Anytime you write a book, you’re not really sure what it’s going to be.Tweet thisTweet
Display your passion

You have to risk rejection. That’s the second risk we take as writers. This work is not for the faint of heart, because around every corner lurks someone waiting to reject you. Agents. Publishers. Critics. Even readers. You have to pick yourself before anyone else will.

One person who applied this lesson better than most is Rebeca Flott.

Rebecca is an artist who paints old window screens. She reached out to me on Instagram, and when I heard her story, I knew it deserved to be shared. After reading my book, Rebeca latched on to the one idea that you don’t have to starve to do your best work. She went after her dream, and today she is a full-time artist.

Here’s how she did it:

She sold her art to anyone who would buy it.
She taught her art to anyone who would listen.
She licensed her art to the right people who could help it spread.

As she was busy doing those things, practicing in public as I call it, someone offered Rebeca $100,000 to open up a physical shop where she could continue teaching others her art. She found a patron.

Here’s the lesson: When you risk rejection, not everyone rejects you. When decide you don’t need anyone’s permission to make your art, suddenly someone wants to help you. The universe conspires for your success.

It was when Rebeca took her art more seriously that others started taking her seriously. She risked rejection and leaned into her fear, and it paid off. Fear constrains us all, but if we want others to believe in us, we have to believe in us first. So don’t be afraid to put your passion on display for others to see. Who knows who you might attract.

“Begin with the assumption that there’s a yes out there.Tweet thisTweet
Don’t say no for other people

You have to risk failure. These risks, of course don’t always pay off. Sometimes, we fall on our faces, and we hit the ground. And it hurts. Still, we have to keep going. We can’t quit. The job of a writer is to persevere, even — no, especially — when we might fail.

Is it going to be easy? Of course not. You can do the hard work, display your passion, and still get rejected. And you’d think after learning my lesson from talking to Alan Bean that I’d be more comfortable with risk. But I’m not.

When I was working on the book, I wanted to reach out to a man named Rab Hatfield, the author whose book had been a major influence and in fact the basis for much of Real Artists Don’t Starve. A retired professor living in Italy, Professor Hatfield was nearly impossible to track down. His book The Wealth of Michelangelo took me six months alone to track down and cost $120.

So getting a quote from the author was important. But I knew I needed something fresh, not a regurgitated quote from The New York Times, an exclusive interview with the man himself. Still, I was unsure of myself.

I tried Googling him but couldn’t find a current email address. He had no blog. No public phone number. Nothing.

So I went to Twitter. There, I found a two year old photo of Professor Hatfield teaching a class, and I reached out to the person who had taken the photo. They said they did know the professor and would be willing to introduce me. After emailing Professor Hatfield, he sent me a prompt reply with his phone number.

The next morning, I called him on Skype, and we spoke for over an hour. “What else do you want to know?” he asked towards the end of our conversation, then proceeded to tell me all about the Mona Lisa.

It was after I stopped saying no, that I was genuinely able to get what I wanted.

Here’s the last lesson: Stop saying no for other people. You don’t know what their answer will be. Risk rejection and lean into those fears. I was able to meet these incredible people and help tell their stories but only after I dared to ask.

May you do the same.

“I completely believe you can make a living with your art.Tweet thisTweet

But how? It comes down to confidence and mindset. I believe you will find what you seek. If you’re looking for rejection, you’ll find that. And if you’re looking for acceptance, you’ll find that, too. We always find what we’re looking for… eventually.

And practically speaking, you don’t need 99 people to say yes. You just need one. It’s not your job to say no for them, and your “yes” may be closer than you think. Good luck.

What art will you have the courage to pursue? Share it with me in the comments.

Alan Bean: 3 Lessons on Life and Art from the Fourth Man to Walk on the Moon

In late 2015 the apparel company Old Navy released a series of children’s T-shirts with “Young Aspiring Artist” written on them but then had the word “Artist” crossed out and replaced with “President” and “Astronaut.”

Photo by Barbara Brannon

Many took offense and went to the Internet to broadcast their discontent. One person on Twitter said: “My high school guidance counselor must have [sic] gotten a job at #oldnavy because she told me an artist wasn’t a career!”

Old Navy publicly apologized and discontinued the shirts, but the question of whether art is a serious career remains. The admonition to not become an artist and choose a safer path may be politically incorrect, but it’s still how many of us think.

In fact, it’s an admonition many artists tell themselves—the kind of negative self-talk that has sabotaged careers. But is it true that being an astronaut is a safer choice than being an artist?

It wasn’t for Alan Bean.

I spoke with Alan on the phone with no idea that less than eighteen months later, he would leave this world. It was honestly one of the most moving and significant conversations I’ve ever had in my life. It only seemed right to share that with others.

On this special episode of The Portfolio Life, I want to share Alan’s story with you and how he accomplished what he set out to do, which was to create meaningful works of art that would leave a legacy. I hope this interview inspires you, in the same way, to leave the familiar for what truly matters.

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).

From Navy to NASA

As a boy, Alan’s dream was to become a navy pilot, a path he followed with discipline, becoming an aeronautical engineer, then going on to flight training to realize his dream. At this point, Alan thought to himself, This is as good as it gets.

“I thought I had the best job in the world,” he later recalled. But for some reason, it wasn’t enough. He kept looking around at the beautiful things in the world and being captivated by them. He saw his neighbors buy some paintings and thought he could probably paint something that looked just as good.

Alan then enrolled in night school to take classes in drawing and water coloring. He wasn’t any good at first, but he liked it. Many of his navy friends noticed his new hobby and with some concern told him that if he wanted to advance his career, he was better off learning golf.

In the close quarters of the military, his affinity for art might arouse some suspicion, but none of that mattered to Alan. He had always done what was interesting to him, so he kept on painting.

The navy pilot’s career transitioned into an opportunity to work for NASA, where he was even busier than before. When he could find the time, he continued to take art classes from local teachers in the community. Art was his one and only hobby, and he dedicated himself to it with the same discipline that he gave the rest of his career, albeit in smaller doses.

When he was thirty-seven years old, Alan served as the lunar module pilot for Apollo 12, the second mission to the moon. In November 1969, he became the fourth man to walk on the moon, exploring the lunar surface and installing the first nuclear power generator station there. In 1973, he flew on the space station Skylab 3 as the spacecraft commander for fifty-nine days in orbit.

During that time of navigating the cosmos, Alan saw incredible things, things that most people will never get the opportunity to see. One day, while training to fly the space shuttle, he said to himself, “Boy, there’s young men and women around here who can do this as good as I can, but there’s no one who’s been given this gift of walking on the moon.”

It gave him pause.

“If I could learn to be better, I could leave stories and images that wouldn’t be done otherwise.Alan BeanTweet thisTweet
From astronaut to artist

In Alan’s mind, anyone could fly the space shuttle, maybe even fly it to the moon. But who else could paint it? It might have been an excess of modesty on his part—astronauts aren’t exactly common— but Alan knew he had a gift that needed to be shared. “If I could leave here,” he said, “and if I could learn to be better, then I could leave stories and images that wouldn’t be done otherwise.”

As he contemplated leaving NASA, the middle-aged astronaut began to count the cost. He’d be given an incredible education and training to become an astronaut, but he’d also been given the gift of art. “You know, I got to thinking,” he said, “It would be nice if Columbus had taken an artist with him. We’d know a lot more. If Magellan had, that would have been a good thing.”

Seeing the moon up close and personal, trudging through the dust beneath his feet—these were experiences no other artist could fully express. No one except Alan. And the more he thought about this, the more excited he became. Soon, the choice was obvious: Alan had to paint the moon, and he had to leave NASA to do it.

That’s how Alan Bean became the first astronaut artist and the only person in history to paint the moon from firsthand experience.

“I left because I felt it was my duty to do these paintings and celebrate the great event I was blessed to be part of.Alan BeanTweet thisTweet
On art as a duty

When he left NASA in 1981 to paint full-time, the reaction from Alan’s friends was mixed. “About half thought it was a good idea,” he said.

“The other thought I was having a midlife crisis. And they’d say things to me like, ‘Well, look Alan, you’ve got millions and millions of dollars’ worth of training that other people don’t have. You think this a good way to put it use?’ I’d been given this gift, all this training, all this knowledge that I had. It was unusual.”

But he had considered that already, and this was more than some creative whim. “I’m a guy who has done his duty his whole life,” Alan said. “And, so, I said, ‘This is what I should be doing, because they won’t miss me here. And if I don’t do this, then a lot of these images and a lot of the stories that I captured will be forgotten.'”

Typically, we don’t think of art as a duty. If anything, it’s an indulgence, certainly not a serious career choice as the Old Navy commercial suggested. But is this true? The urge to be creative is one thing, but the call to be an artist is something else. Clearly, Alan Bean considers his work to be the latter. When he finally did resign at fifty years old, Alan was not merely chasing a passion—he was answering a calling.

“I didn’t leave my job as an astronaut because I had this creative urge,” he told me in his Texas drawl over the phone. “I left because I felt it was my duty to do these paintings to celebrate this great event I was blessed to be a part of.”

So, here Alan was with this responsibility to paint the moon, something only he could do, and as he began, he realized some- thing. He wasn’t that good.

I took my work down and compared it to what was in the galleries and what was in the museums and I could see that I wasn’t anywhere near there, and I never would be probably as good as what you see. But I could get better and maybe I could get competitive. Because… if I was going to devote my life to it, I somehow had to make a living doing it.

Alan devoted his life to painting. And for more than three decades, his art has allowed him more than enough to live.

Today, Alan Bean’s artwork is featured in galleries all over the United States, with his paintings selling for tens of thousands of dollars apiece, sometimes more. An original called First Men: Neil Armstrong, a forty-by-thirty-inch textured acrylic, recently sold for $228,600.

He did his duty, and he did it well.

The lessons

There are three lessons I think we can learn from Alan’s life.

Do your duty. If you have something only you can do in this world (and we all do), you must do it and do it well. What this means is that wherever we are in life, we need to be all there. And if what we’re doing is something someone else can do, then it’s time to move on and find our true calling.
Use what you have. Don’t worry about what other people are doing or how they’re doing it. Do life your way on your terms and use the skills and tools and resources available to you—even when those things look like weaknesses or disadvantages. Everything can be useful if you let it.
Support yourself. The money was never the point for Alan. For this astronaut-artist, his work was a duty, and to do that work well, he needed time. And if you make enough money off your art, you have time to make more art. The point was Alan had a gift to share, and he didn’t do it, no one else would. Moreover, he understood something every Starving Artist must grapple with: Money is the means, but never the master.

Thank you, Alan, for your art—and for doing your duty. May you rest in peace.

Resources

Painting Apollo: First Artist on Another World by Alan Bean
Apollo : An Eyewitness Account By Astronaut/Explorer Artist/Moonwalker by Alan Bean
Alan Bean website
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes

What art will you create to outlast you? Let me know in the comments.

Real Artists Don’t Starve is Now Available

Today, my new book Real Artists Don’t Starve hits bookstores everywhere. Which means today is your last day to get some amazing bonuses when you order the book.

Here’s where you can order the book (in convenient, alphabetical order):

Amazon (available in hardcover and on Kindle)
Audible (free trial for non-members)
Barnes & Noble
CBD (current lowest price!)
Google Play
iBooks
Indiebound

I’m doing a happy dance right now (well, more like a happy bounce-in-my-chair), because I spent over a year researching this book and another 11 months writing it. Today is the day that book gets to see the world. That feels pretty good.

With historical examples and contemporary case studies, this book will help you:

Debunk the myth of the Starving Artist and believe a better story.
Harness your creativity as a weapon to help you overcome your creative battles.
Thrive in your creative passions so that you can make a living off your “art.”

To all of you — and there were thousands — who supported RADS by pre-ordering it, thank you! Your copies should be arriving in the mail soon (maybe even today). (Note: Some books may not ship internationally until later in the year, but eBooks and digital audiobooks are available now.)

But!

It’s not too late…

Last day to get bonuses

For those who missed the pre-order bonuses (and there were some snazzy ones), today is the LAST DAY to order the book and get these bonuses worth over $100. Here they are again:

BONUS #1: Two Real Artists Don’t Starve workbooks customized for artists and writers
BONUS #2: Access to a private 7-week book study with Jeff live on video
BONUS #3: Exclusive discount on 12-part video course

After today, these bonuses go away. You’ll actually have to buy them separately instead of getting them included with the book. So don’t miss that. You have until midnight to get the book and grab those bonuses. You can pick up the book in any format from any retailer.

All you need to do is:

Buy the book in any format (yes, any format, anywhere).
Forward your receipt to rads@goinswriter.com.
Check your email to receive the bonuses.

That’s it!

Order the book right here, right now.

But is this book for me?

Buying a book is a big time commitment. I get that. If you’re not sure if this is for you, here is what some people smarter than me have to say about it:

“Jeff Goins doesn’t just show us how to be more creative. He also reveals a path for turning our art into business and our business into art. Every entrepreneur, writer, and artist should read this book and take notes.”

–Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and To Sell Is Human

“Jeff Goins is back with his most powerful book yet. Every page offers insight, hope, and practical advice for anyone who wants to make their dent in the universe.”

–Seth Godin, author of Linchpin

“Jeff Goins has established himself as a fresh and dynamic voice inspir­ing us to get out of our own way and produce our best work. Real Artists Don’t Starve is the work of angels: a book every aspiring writer, artist, and creative must read.”  

–Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of The War of Art

“Anyone trying to make a living from their creative work will find much to steal here.”

–Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist

“Goins dispels the myth that being a creative is some illusive, mysterious dimension reserved for a chosen few. Instead, he reminds us that being an artist is a job that any motivated person can do with a strategic focus on inspiration­-gathering, collaboration, risk-­taking, discipline, and market­ing.”

–Lisa Congdon, artist and author of Art Inc

FAQ’s

I’ve received a few questions about the book that I want answer here:

“Did you write this whole book yourself?”

Well, nobody actually asked this, but yes, yes I did. Actually, I did get some great help from a few people on the editing side of things, which I share in the Acknowledgements.

Is there an audiobook?

Sure is. And it’s read by someone (not me) who’s voice doesn’t crack every other word. He did a good job. You can order the audiobook on Audible. If you’re not a member, you’ll get the book for free if you sign up through my special affiliate link by clicking here.

“I’m not an artist. Is this book for me?”

Well, first of all, I think we all have creative gifts to share with the world. Which, in a sense, makes us all artists. I wrote this book for anyone who fits that description — including visual artists, writers, speakers, creative entrepreneurs, photographers, bakers, crafters, calligraphers, culinary artists, and so many others. This isn’t a book for everyone, but it certainly is a book for anyone who wants to be more creative and use that creativity to make a living.

“Are you saying that if I’m starving, them I’m not a real artist? Isn’t that offensive?”

The argument of the book is that you don’t have to starve. Starving as an artist is a choice, not a necessary condition of doing creative work. I consider the title a dare. It’s saying, “Are you a real artist? Then DON’T STARVE!”

“Aren’t you just highlighting the success stories?”

The research I did consisted of reading hundreds of biographies of artists, authors, and entrepreneurs, and then comparing what I found to hundreds of interviews I conducted with groups of both successful creatives and unsuccessful ones.

In the book, I lay out the 12 lessons I learned from this research. When followed, these strategies help creative people succeed. When ignored, you’re leaving your fate up to chance. I don’t think most creative success is a matter of luck, and in this book I attempt to prove that. Whether or not I do that successfully is up for you to decide.

Can I order the book for my team or organization? Can I give it to friends?

Yes, you absolutely can. If you order 3 or more copies, you’ll get additional bonuses. If you do that today, they can get the bonuses as well. For more about bulk orders, fill out this form.

Order the book today!

Amazon (available in hardcover and on Kindle)
Audible (free trial for non-members)
Barnes & Noble
CBD (current lowest price!)
Google Play
iBooks
Indiebound

Don’t forget: If you buy the book today and forward your email receipt to rads@goinswriter.com, you can claim $216 in bonuses. Thanks!

Do you know a starving artist who you want to see thrive? Why are you excited about this book? Share in the comments.

Photo credit: Paul Turner