Here are the next five lessons as we draw closer to our anniversary weekend:
6. Be Creative – that might sound like an obvious lesson for an art gallery, but I don’t mean being creative in art alone. I mean in how you solve problems, handle time management, and in how you interact with the world. The same rules that have made you successful in other areas of your life will work for running your own business…but sometimes you need a little bit more. Be creative, think outside the way you currently think. Great quote – the thinking that got you here will not get you where you want to go – think differently, be creative.
7. The Good, The Bad and The UGLY – face them all! There will be good days and bad days, and REALLY ugly days. Withstanding the tides of this roller coaster called business ownership sometimes means holding on for dear life until the ride comes to a complete stop – then barfing your guts out until you can move to the next level! (Those who have ridden Space Mountain might know what I mean here!) It won’t always be easy, but it is gratifying. So hold on, take a deep breath and know that things will change soon.
8. Cooperate and Be Patient – There are people out there who know more than you. Tap into them, learn to cooperate with them, and be patient as you learn and they learn about you. Sometimes the first resource you tap to help is not the right resource for your business. Sometimes they do not work with you business model, beliefs, or even on your timeline. If they are not a fit, find someone else OR cooperate with them until they better understand what you need. One side effect of cooperation is putting aside your ego and being patient. I once heard a great acronym for EGO – Edging God Out. Take the time to step back, cooperate, let others do what they do best,and ask for help.
9. Have Fun! – build in time to recharge and review other creative elements, locations, events, and mediums. If you are a photographer go to a sculpture exhibit if you sculpt go see a broadway show. Seek out other creative people and see what they are doing. We greatly leverage each other’s creativity and input to inspire and encourage each other to go to the next level in our own art. You never know what will inspire you, so go out and be surprised.
10. Know what you believe and why – all sorts of information is out there to absorb and process. AND lots of people will want your time and resources, and it is up to you to say yes or no. If you don’t know what you believe, or why you are doing something chances are you could squander either time or money or both. We have set a couple hard and fast rules over the past couple years, and they have served us well. They are not always popular with family or friends, or even coincide with what other businesses do, but they work for us. Knowing why we wait or move ahead has helped us all endorse and engage with our gallery’s growth.
Okay, I have great lessons learned but seem to be math challenged. We open our anniversary event tomorrow. We are almost done with set up (woo hoo, it’s not 3am!) and will take pictures to post for everyone to see the updated and new spaces.
Thanks for your support over these past three years – you have been a blessing on this adventure called Ann Art Gallery.
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