Head = Brains

There are two sides to your head: creative and logical. You need your creativity to serve you well in your creative pursuits. But don’t ignore the logic either. To make it in this crazy world, learn all that you can about how the art business works. The more you know, the better off you will be.

Heart = Passion

Desire comes from your heart. It’s the love you have for yourself, others, and your work. According to authors Ron Rubin and Stuart Avery Gold in their success@life book: “Passion provides you the best possible odds to successfully catch and live your dream.” That’s good advice.

Is there a fire inside of you that won’t burn out unless you achieve your dreams? If that’s you, channel that passion into everything you do. If you don’t have the passion inside of you, ask yourself why. And then take steps to stoke the fire.

When you feel passionate about your art, that positive energy works in your favor. Your enthusiasm will rub off on to others creating a good experience for fans and others with whom you associate.

Stomach = Guts

You have to take risks — whether you have the stomach for them or not. There are two key issues to address. One, it’s OK to make mistakes. That’s how you learn and grow as a person and as a professional. Vow not to repeat errors and try to limit the downside to every venture you take on. Elbert Hubbard sums this up best: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”

Two, give yourself a challenge. Don’t rest on your laurels. Always push yourself to do and be better. It is this constant pursuit of bigger, better, brighter that drives the most successful artistic temperament.

To make your life the success you envision, get your head, heart, and stomach working together. That’s the anatomy of success.