you have our permission to tell people to f*ck off.
Issue: You're not getting paid your worth as an artist. You're surviving, not thriving.
CEA's Rules to Create By:
You have to believe in yourself, your vision, your message, and your medium before anyone else does.
Value your time, factor in expertise, understand your costs, research your ideal market, consider your goals, factor in uniqueness, test, adapt, and grow.
Tell more people no to get to the right yeses.
Start telling your why in addition to showcasing your craft.
Evaluate your brand presence and engagement (or lack thereof) with your ideal audience.
Application of the Rules:
Every creative knows when they're moving in their purpose, or when they're hustling to make ends meet. We've all taken gigs to pay our bills. We call this survival mode. The first step out of survival mode is a mindset shift. You have to trust in yourself and your creative process. Visualize your success. Stay present in the moment. Set your intentions for this body of work or this engagement. Honor them fiercely. Tell anyone or anything that gets in your way to f*ck off.
You invest more than time and money into your creative process. Every piece of art is a piece of you. Instead of asking yourself, "how much should I charge this person for this piece?" ask yourself, "is this person worthy of this piece of me?" If the answer is no, then it's time to say f*ck off. If the answer is yes, set your prices as high as your standards.
Reflect on your last creative engagement. Why did that client want to work with you? Did it help you achieve a career goal? What did you sacrifice to complete the work? Did it set your soul on fire? Did it feel in alignment with your purpose? Do you think you charged enough for the end result? Write a list of questions you ask yourself before and after taking any gig. Think of these question as your rules of engagement. Naturally, you'll start filtering out the opportunities that are meant for you, and those that aren't.
The creative process itself is inherently a vulnerable one because it's a form of self expression. It's not enough to share the final product; we [your audience] want to know the story behind the inspiration. We want to feel connected to the art in some way. We want to be part of the rare group of people who get it.
Sometimes you need to take a moment to evaluate your overall brand presence, messaging, and consistency. How do clients find you? What do they see when they reach your channels? Is it what you want them to see? Is your information current or outdated AF? Take the time to evaluate how people interact with your brand. If you don't have these skills, hire out. It's worth the investment in yourself.
I mean no disrespect when I say it. Well, maybe sometimes I do. And more often than not I think it, and don't say it. Whenever you decide to start saying f*ck off to the situations that no longer serve you, I hope it's because you're honoring your worth, moving closer to thriving not simply surviving.
F*ck off (with love),
xo, -Sunshine
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