Focus: The Power of Saying NO

Aug 8

As artists, we are often pressured to say yes. People either want a discount or something for free because it will get you “exposure”. I’ve heard clients ask for a discount and that they will pay me my full rate on the next project. I’ve never had someone who asked for a discount come back to me again nor have I ever had a continuous client ask me for a discount….

A lot of artists chase the paper, not the dream. Every one of my favorite projects has been my own personal project or a client project that merged with my passion, values, and beliefs.

I made this video to stress the value of saying “yes” less and “no” more. It’s important to be happy and not get burnt out on doing things for other people.

Finding balance

As an artist, I often strive to find balance.

One of those balances I work for is to work on my own passion projects to avoid burnout from doing client work.

The goal is to slowly make all my passion projects merge with paid work. To not do any more projects that don’t reflect my values, beliefs, and passions.

This means saying “No”.

Say no to projects and clients that don’t take me in the right direction.

Learn to focus on only the things that carry me forward.

Making this video was therapeutic- I was able to open up, be vulnerable, and get this idea of saying no into my system.

I’d love to share the script below that helped me turn this crippling fear into a form of therapy.

Not All Ideas Are Meant for You

As artists, we have no shortage of good ideas.

We are continuously finding inspiration around us—merging different ideas and styles into our own work.

However, saying yes to great ideas can often hurt us.

The point is not all great ideas are meant for you…

Sometimes they pull you in opposite directions, slowing your momentum in the direction you need to be going.

This is something that I have been working on for a while now.

Digging deep into my own interests, values, and beliefs I've come to the understanding that I need to learn to say no.

Say no to the good ideas:

To the collaboration projects with other artists who I think are doing great things and have great ideas of their own
To the paid work that is just not what I want to do.

As a freelancer, saying no to money is hard.

It's something I've done a lot…

Though it's tough when I don't have the assurance of knowing what income I'll have in the next few months.

FOCUS IS LIKE A STREAM

I've often been the person who rather does something I'm passionate about.

My best work has always been my own ideas or client work that merges with my interests, values, and beliefs.

I know a lot of artists who aren't happy…

It's because most of them say yes rather than saying no.

Saying no creates focus on the vision—the vision that will carry you forward.

Focus is like a stream—it starts off small, trickling its way through obstacles.

At times it floods out into a slow-moving tributary w/ many individual paths…

But all heading in the same direction.

Things tend to slow down and that's when we get scared.

I've felt that…

But when I look at a massive canyon that's been carved out over time, I think about the power of constantly making slow progress.

While there may be times in our career or personal lives where we feel stagnate, we must have the understanding that there’s power in going forward towards our goals and passions.

Like anything in nature, everything eventually returns.

As those slow-moving waters start returning to their main source the stream becomes a fast-flowing river…

That movement of water represents our focus.

Our ability to say no steers us from going in the wrong direction—it keeps us focused and moving forward.

Our momentum may slow down at times, but as long as we are heading in the right direction we are on the right path.

Focusing on our values, beliefs, and interests gives us the same power that allowed the Colorado River to carve the Grand Canyon.

If we set our focus by saying no...we have the power to accomplish incredible things.

Conclusion

I hope by me sharing the power of saying no, that you too are in a position to show up for yourself and reap the reward of your efforts.

I hope you also see how therapeutic it can be to create through your crippling struggles.

If this Video Journal resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it so I can add it to the comments below for me to look back on when I’m challenged to say yes to something that doesn’t align with my values, passions, and beliefs!