When You Suck at Celebrating

I have a hard time stopping and celebrating the good things that have just passed. I'm not talking about birthdays or special occasions. I'm talking about celebrating those milestone moments in personal achievements. To put it plainly, I suck at celebrating.

Part of this, I think, is due to working in environments where deadlines were fast and furious, within organizations that were always striving to take more ground. That’s not a critique of those organizations, rather just a by-product sometimes. Do that for a number of years, and you get programmed to just keep your eye to the horizon. 

As a culture, we gather around us ideas of “never looking back” or “the past is behind us. What’s done is done.” The problem I have with that idea is that when you don’t celebrate your wins, it’s easy to lose sight of how far you’ve come, and what you have accomplished.  

Someone sent me an email the other day asking about highlights from 2016. It took me a long while to think about how to answer. I knew I had “done stuff”, I just couldn’t really remember anything specific. I had to go back to my calendar, and think long and hard. Finally, I started to remember, and I felt a reason to celebrate rising in me.

Now, I hesitate to share these things, as I don’t want to appear boastful. Hopefully, you know me enough, or can understand my heart from this post, to know that’s not my purpose. I just have the feeling I’ll need this reminder, when things seem slow, and opportunity scarce, that good things have happened, and will happen again. So would you allow me the indulgence, and even join in my celebration?

Here’s a few 2016 highlights:

- I was a vendor at many Artist Alley’s this year, including Walker Stalker and Heroes and Villains events. While a lot of these shows weren’t very financially successful for me, they did provide some moments to celebrate like getting to meet & interact with a few celebrities (& even give them my art!)

- Having my art chosen to be on Talking Dead with Chris Hardwick, as the fan art of the week!

- Getting hired to create art by Kweku Mandela (Nelson Mandela's Grandson) who is an activist involved in Global Citizen events. He had me create art for five of the headlining acts - Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer, Rihanna, Demi Lovato, and Metallica. He personally handed my art to each artist the day of the event. And I even got to be his special guest at an invitation only event prior to the main event. I blogged about it here. 

- Creating art of "Chewbacca Mom" (AKA Candace Payne) on Instagram, then 24 hours into all the viral video stuff, having her call me to ask if she could use it for free stickers at a Dallas ComicCon. How does that even happen?

- I launched my very first online teaching course “Your Artists’ Journey” 

- And of course, in a last minute effort, submitted my video for The Abundant Artist scholarship and won. And I never win anything! 

In August, I was let go from my full-time position due to financial reasons. I decided it was time to go all in on my own art career. And while I’m still in startup mode, working towards financial stability, I’m thankful for the many of you who have commissioned me to create art and/or bought prints and paintings, especially during this holiday season. I’ve met so many wonderful people along the way this year at various events, shows, conferences, and online communities. I'm thankful for you all!

I hope 2017 is filled with many more moments to celebrate wonderful opportunities like these (and more!). Thanks so much for being a part of my journey!

What are some highlights from your 2016? I’d love to know! Leave me a comment and let’s keep the celebration going.

When You Need Thanksgiving to Keep Giving

Thanksgiving was last week. Most of us have moved on to thinking about Christmas / Hanukkah / the New Year. But I have a confession to make. I need Thanksgiving to hang around.

I'm not talking about the holiday traditions - the incredible food, extended time with family, watching the NBC Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show (along with sneaking in some March of the Wooden Soldiers). Those are all wonderful, and I love them. But what I need to hang around is actually the THANKS in Thanksgiving.

Another confession: it's easy to go through the motions of Thanksgiving and not really be thankful. That happens with things you get too familiar with. After all, Thanksgiving is every year.

I found myself struggling with thinking about all the lack in my life lately. (And yes, I know that I am incredibly blessed compared to most of the world.) But it's difficult to shake a perspective that locks you in on what you don't have, the needs that are pressing in all around you despite your best efforts. The more you focus on the lack, the bigger it becomes.

I was reading a book the other day with daily readings called "Jesus Calling". That days reading had to do with giving thanks, most challenging to let "thankfulness rule in your heart..."

“Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As you thank Me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall off your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of My glorious riches. With your eyes thus opened, you can help yourself to whatever you need from My treasure house. Each time you receive one of My golden gifts, let your thankfulness sing out praises to My Name. “Hallelujahs” are the language of heaven, and they can become the language of your heart. A life of praise and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing. This is the power of praise: centering your entire being in Me. This is how I created you to live, for I made you in My own image. Enjoy abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. . . . And be thankful.”

— Jesus Calling

The truth is, trying to create your own business is extremely hard when it comes to striving. There's always more to do. More to create. Lack stares you in the face. And the whisper that if you hit things that much harder, get more ambitious and HUSTLE more, then you'll be on track. But it's a vicious cycle void of any thanksgiving, or celebration.

So prompted by my reading, I decided to write in my daily journal all the things I was thankful for. At first it felt forced and clumsy, but that soon broke way to actual thanks. I poured out as much as I could, thanking God for who He is in my life, all He has and is doing, and all He has blessed me with - even the LACK. The lack actually is more opportunity to trust Him, His provision and leading in my life. I thanked him for my wonderful wife and children, the opportunity to pursue my art, a home, my dogs, clean water, food... four pages later, I had to stop because I had to move on to an appointment. But it fixed my attention and perspective. At least for a little while. That's why I want to keep Thanksgiving close by.

What about you? What are you truly thankful for today?

Getting Schooled by Kool and The Gang

You're at a wedding. Or family party. Suddenly that sound starts. Everyone on the dance floor. Now. Because Kool and the Gang knows how to celebrate.

The other day I was talking with a fellow artist friend saying how hard it is to remember to celebrate. I paused for a moment wondering why that is. 

You see, when you live constantly in the tension of what you want to see realized and where you actually are, it creates intense drive (or depression, but that's another post for another day). And that drive and hunger, while good at propelling you forward, is terrible for remembering to stop and celebrate. Because the hungry voice says, "Who has time to celebrate? Look at how much more has to be done."

The problem is that if we don't stop and celebrate, we'll feel a constant sense of never measuring up. We forget that there are great things that have and are happening today. Because we let the demands of tomorrow overshadow them. 

Call it a strive for excellence. Call it hunger to achieve. Call it what you want, but unless we balance it with celebration, we can collapse under the weight and pressure. 

Celebrating causes you to be thankful. Grateful. Joyful. And it can help you remember why you're doing what you're in the first place. 

Write a list of the things that are going right. Tell a friend about breakthroughs you've had this week (no matter how small they may seem). Reread that encouraging email or Facebook comment about your work. 

Are you starting to feel it?

Yahoo! This is your celebration!

Celebrate good times! Come on! 

Well, Kool and the Gang are calling me to the dance floor. It's time to celebrate!