Climbing Mountains — The Art of Selling Art

In this photo, I’m exhausted.

I had been on the road, sleeping in my Jeep, and eating PBJ for two weeks. Strawberry Jam is way better than Grape Jelly, btw.

For this hike, I sat on the edge of the lake and looked up at the steep mountainside, covered in loose rock, for a long, long time.

The goal?

Just to do it. Maybe, get this pic, too.

The challenge?

I hiked a trailless mountainside I’d never seen aside from on social media with no support and no one to push me when it got hard. And I knew it was going to get tough, too.

Here’s what I definitely don’t like when it comes to trying new things:

Being unsure of the gain. Would I even get a good photo from up there and if I did, would it even be worth the effort?
Sweating. No, really, I go to the gym every day, and I’ve hiked for days. But I hate the sweating part.
Rocks in my shoes.
Being sore
Being uncertain about my capabilities. I wasn’t feeling limber after days in the car.
Failing. If I start and don’t make it…
Heights- or, more accurately, the small curiosity I harbor about falling.

I share all the challenging bits with you because I am pretty far from the tip-top athlete-cameraman who jogs up mountains with a pack and shoots bangers with a smile.

Still, here I am, at the viewpoint, exhausted and knowing that what came up, must safely make it down.

And down I went, with shaky knees.

Success

But it was HARD.

If I just sat on the lake shore, looking up at the face of the mountain… well, I can promise you that this epic photo would not have happened.

I coach people in art and business development all the time, and it strikes me that so many artists and artpreneurs want the thrills of the summit but make choices akin to strolling the shoreline. Then, they can’t figure out why the payoff they want is not coming.

Why are we choosing comfort over challenging our confidence?

Usually, it has to do with likeability and fear of rejection: will someone else want what I want to make?

You can’t know for certain unless you research it and risk it. Staying safe by not offering your best art keeps you at the base of the mountain, meandering shorelines, or safe in bed sleeping like everyone else.