Written by: Loriana Valente, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Many artists dream of being famous, winning an Academy Award, or being nominated for the next Billboard Award. But is it really that hard to reach your dream? The answer is straightforward: Yes, for some, it is tough to achieve that dream because they don't put effort into reaching their goals, and for some people, it is tough to stay consistent in their work. The mindset plays a significant role in achieving that goal, publishing a song, or putting a film for production together. Let's dig deeper into seven common mistakes artists make and how they can improve their mindset and work ethic. Here we go!
Mistake No.1
Have you ever caught yourself in self-doubts and believing that everyone else but you can reach a big dream? Right! We've all been there. The mistake is: You don't dream big enough, and you don't believe that miracles can happen to you. You sabotage your talents by simply not allowing yourself to envision your big dreams.
Here is how you can improve your vision:
Once you've learned that you are enough and you are unique, and you accept that you have all the superpowers you need, you leverage into the feeling of self-love and self-compassion. It has nothing to do with being egoistic or having a narcissistic personality disorder. Love and compassion are your birthright, as well as dreaming. So, why don't you simply lean back and vision your biggest dream? Please close your eyes for a moment and accept this dream and how it feels. Do I feel good? Perfect, now dream bigger! How does that feel? Even better? Congratulation! Now dream even bigger than the last two dreams you envisioned and tell yourself: I deserve this! I am enough, and I am grateful! Dream big – act big! Take massive action after you've envisioned your goal and build a vision board that is as detailed and as precise as possible. You can put it on the wall where you can see your vision board every day and be grateful for that vision that came to you. What steps do you need to take to get closer to that big dream you deserve so much? If you catch yourself judging your thoughts and desires – hold on for a second and ask yourself: why is everyone else allowed to publish a song or make a movie and not me? Why can so many people be a millionaire, build beautiful empires, and serve others with their artwork and business, not me? You will soon understand: the only person limiting you is not someone from the outside – it's only you. So, be in charge, take responsibility, and again: take massive action!
Mistake No.2
Complaining, complaining, complaining, and feeling that you are a victim: that's a big mistake many artists make. Without noticing, many artists focus on what they do not have. I would call it the contemporary human disease that most highly developed countries have. People are not grateful enough for the little steps they achieve every day. People feel like something is missing most of the time or need certain things before going out there and enriching the world with their artistic talent.
What you can do to stop complaining, and your mindset will be thankful:
Be grateful for every little thing. Be thankful for having running clean water and having electricity and access to the internet. Be thankful for food and that you and your beloved ones are alive and healthy. Be thankful! Go to bed with a good mindset and wake up in the morning with a good perspective. What helped me tap into this positive, grateful mindset was writing down in the evening in my little gratitude notebook five things I am thankful for. I can meditate through those things while a lovely candle is on and meditation music runs through my speakers. In the morning, I wake up, and the first thing that I say is: Thank you for giving me the gift of another fresh new day. I am enough. I deserve it. I am grateful. Thank you! Everyone can find their mindset routines – there are tonnes of mindset advice on the internet jungle. Find the one that suits you best.
Mistake No.3
WORK OVERLOAD! Work overload and exhaustion develop when you don't have a working structure in your business. When your to-do list is that big that you don't know where you should even start, or worst case: you don't even have a plan what to do next, and you think that you're a floating artist in this universe. You think awards and great ideas and everything will reach you somehow or someday – because you feel creative. And there you float day in, day out, and guess what: there is no someday or eventually, and there is no somehow. Have you ever seen the day someday or eventually on your calendar? I only know a calendar that runs from Monday to Sunday, and there are time slots.
And here we go into improving our mindset for, if you have no structure or a structure, that doesn't work out:
The magic is: Create a daily plan, a weekly plan, and a monthly plan and write your to-do's in time slots. Whatever time frame suits you best. Some people like waking up at 4.30 am – some people like waking up at noon while in Italy it is lunchtime. Own your time – be consistent, make time slots with to-dos! That's magic. You will feel less pressure – because you know that you have everything in your system. Your tasks will be solved today, this week or this month, or even this year if you also have yearly time plans. And the best feeling of working with time slots: you make sure that you have enough time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner time and also for some me-time and gym time and quality time with your partner and family and friends, where you are you. Because we are still human beings – not human doings, if you don't accomplish every task on one day, postpone it to other time slots during the week. This schedule is helpful for every successful entrepreneur. Remember, as an artist: you are the business! You are your shop! Keep it attractive, so others want to know about you
Mistake No.4
And while you are so busy pursuing your goals and dreams and ticking through your to-do list, you become so busy that you no longer have an eye for opportunities. Not grabbing opportunities is a killer in your artistic business. And this also includes opportunities in investing in yourself and finding the right mentor or the right next acting or singing or dancing class, which, guess what: costs money!
Here is how you can improve your mindset:
NEVER LET MONEY STOP YOU! And have all eyes and ears open and listen to synchronicities which lead to opportunities. You never know where this opportunity leads you and where the next contact brings you! Invest in yourself – that's the most important thing I can highly recommend to all artists!
Mistake No.5
In the last years, I've observed a massive mistake in the show business that holds immense talents away from the miracle they could create: BEING AGGRESSIVE and INTIMIDATING their environment by their (passive-)aggressive dominance. No one wants to work with aggressive people who can flip out every second – especially during production. We might know those scenes from films, and unfortunately, they are still a reality in some displays, but believe me: I've been in Hollywood this year: No one wants to have an aggressive personality on set, except that's the role they are playing! The word will go around very quickly. People from the show business will inform each other, as they talk about their following projects. You don't want to be the one who is "difficult to work with" / "doesn't have his/her sh** together" / "Excentric! Better not!"
Very easy here:
Go to an anger management course, talk to a psychologist, be nice to people, be kind and polite and be thankful for everyone working for and with you! We want to work with authentic and mature people who love their jobs and colleagues. And if you've had the experience of working with someone difficult: run! You don't have to work with that person again. The industry is full of beautiful people.
Mistake No.6
Not having a mentor or not having the right mentor!
The magic key here to elevate your talent and mind:
Find the right mentor for you. Who is suitable for others must not be right for you! Check them out before starting working with this mentor. Tell them where you want to go and where you need assistance. Ask them about their program, dig deeper, and ask who they have already worked with. If you have a good feeling and you think it might be a good fit, then go for it and enjoy the time. You need to grow and learn consistently. That's the primary key many artists underrate. You never stop learning. You can always learn new things, especially when technology is running fast, and there is always more to learn. A good mentor will give you the freedom to express yourself in your art, and they understand that everyone has their timing and speed. A mentor should never be your babysitter. They should push you out of your comfort zone and not make you dependent on them. So, change the mentor also once in a while. Every 1.5 to 2 years is an excellent time to outgrow and move on to the next mentor. Learn, grow, be thankful and move on. Remember you are free. You don't depend on that one person.
Mistake No.7
Many artists are people pleasers and feel not comfortable with rejections and failures! That's a huge mistake! If you feel the need to people-please and your favorite word is "YES," and you need to hear it often – then you should think about if your dream of being a professional artist is realistic. Most artists included singers, actors, and filmmakers, get rejections every day. You also have haters on social media and people who criticize you consistently or dislike what you are doing.
Here is how you can deal with rejection and failures:
Embrace them! Embrace the rejections – they bring you a step forward and make your skin thicker. Be thankful. Embrace failures – they let you grow! You always fall forward – never backward. So, it's a win! Embrace every "No!" – It leads you on the right path. Embrace every hater on social media: They show you that you're doing something right. Thank you and block them! Please don't waste your time with them.
Be comfortable with the uncomfortable!
Love your art!
Love your soul!
Now that you can improve your art and business by not making the seven mistakes I've mentioned above, I invite you to this week's X-MAS Masterclass Special with an extraordinary guest who elevated her mindset and became a self-made millionaire. To register for this free masterclass, click on the Zoom link in the link of my Instagram bio. Gifts are waiting for you. Invite your friends. The world always needs and loves new and inspiring music. So, work on your mindset and believe in the miracle given to you – it's your birthright! Grab the opportunity – join us this Saturday at 6.30 pm U.K. time. Online seats are limited.
If Thursday evenings are good for you, you can join the A.R.T.I.S.T. Lunch Room on Clubhouse at 7 pm U.K. time. A safe space for everyone who loves or makes art in any form. A great and completely free space to connect.
Yours,
Loriana
Loriana Valente, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Loriana Valente is a multidisciplinary artist who found back to music after her child died during pregnancy 6 years ago. She released her pop debut album, which she dedicated to her child in April 2021, called "HEARTBEAT MATTERS!“. The songs are released on major platforms like Spotify, iTunes, Deezer, Napster, Amazon Music and many more. On top, Loriana is the founder and CEO of the A.R.T.I.S.T. FORMULA. She helps singers and music lovers to form their dream into reality on how to write their own songs, produces music videos, become published artist and get paid for their special talents within 12 weeks. Loriana learned from top people from the show business who coached/collaborated with Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Cameron Diaz, Red Man, Method Man and who worked on films like Star Wars, Star Trek, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Desperate Housewives. Loriana's mission: Create art and show your unique talent!
