Case Study: How a Starving Artist Breaks Cycle of Failure
Breaking the cycle of failure can be a highly challenging task, but with the right mindset shift, persistence, and a little support from a business success coach, it is possible. Here are 6 business coaching steps to help you break the cycle of failure, and later you will read how Jade applied these steps to move away from her cycle of starving artist and become an emerging successful one.
6 Steps to Break the Cycle of Failure
Recognize the pattern: The first step in breaking the cycle of failure is to recognize the pattern of your failures. Take a close look at your past failures and identify common themes or patterns. This will help you understand the underlying issues that are causing you to fail repeatedly.
Envision what your life would look like if this pattern no longer existed: Most people know what they don’t want, but only a few people can envision what they really want. Visualize and ask yourself: What would your life look like without this pattern?
Learn from your failures: Once you've identified the patterns, take the time to learn from your failures. Analyze what went wrong, what you could have done differently, and what you can do better next time. This will help you avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Set small, achievable goals: Setting small, realistic, and achievable goals is key to breaking the cycle of failure. Avoid setting unrealistic goals that are difficult to achieve, as they can set you up for failure. Instead, break your goals down into smaller, more manageable steps that you can accomplish.
Focus on progress: Staying motivated is crucial when it comes to breaking the cycle of failure. Recognize momentum and small wins versus the big shift. Surround yourself with positive people who can encourage and support you, and find ways to stay inspired and motivated. This might include working with a success coach that will support you, reading inspiring books, listening to motivational speakers, and meditating on a question each day.
Take consistent actions every single day: This may involve small actions such as talking with new people to gain a fresh perspective and reminding yourself every day that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. Use your past failures as a source of learning and motivation to keep pushing forward, and don't give up if you encounter setbacks along the way.
Case Study: Jade's Journey to Break the Cycle of Failure
Jade was a talented artist who had been struggling to make a name for herself in the creative industry. She had joined many exhibitions, but they had failed to gain much attention, and she had not been able to sell much. She was feeling discouraged and was considering giving up on her art. She decided to give it one last chance and hired a professional business success coach who has helped other artists to launch their art successfully. She has followed her coach’s 6-step framework and committed herself to breaking the cycle.
Recognizing the pattern: Jade reflected on her past actions and outcomes and realized that her past failures had been due to her lack of interest in building marketing skills and her inability to connect with an audience interested in her art. She had focused solely on creating and had neglected the business side of the industry.
Envisioning success: Then, she realized that she had known the taste of failure but didn’t know what success would feel and look like. With the help of her coach, she started to describe what success would mean to her. She also described the milestones of success which helped her to gain focus instead of regretting her past.
Learning from failures: Jade decided to take a step back and identify her learning from her past. She described what to avoid, what worked and what did not work. She attended workshops on marketing and promotion specific to her industry, studied biographies of successful artists and their promotional strategies, and read books on branding and arts management. She also reached out to her friends, galleries and art managers for feedback and suggestions on how she could improve her art and start to sell.
Setting small, actionable, and achievable goals: Jade’s coach helped her to set small, actionable and realistic goals, such as improving her social media presence, reaching out to local galleries to participate in art exhibitions, and displaying at local venues to gain more exposure. She broke down these goals into smaller steps and created a timeline for achieving them.
Focusing on progress: Instead of focusing on results, Jade’s success coach supported her to focus on momentum. Each time she was able to display her art, even when there were only two or three small pieces, they celebrated together. She developed a sense of resilience and patience. To stay motivated, Jade was determined to listen to people who would support her and believed in his talent and his vision. She also found inspiration in the stories of successful musicians who had faced similar challenges and overcome them.
Taking consistent action: Knowing that her success coach would ask, Jade consistently focused on taking a simple action every single day. Actions would be as simple as posting a new artwork on her Instagram, visiting a new gallery and speaking with the manager, or applying for funding for a new exhibition. She shifted her focus from what didn’t work in the past to what she could do every day to create momentum and a loyal group of collectors.
The Result: Jade's mindset shift, hard work and perseverance paid off. Her social media presence grew, and she began to receive invitations to local exhibitions. Her shows were well-received, and she has a few collectors who buy art from her on special days, events or just for themselves. Eventually, her hard work and persistence caught the attention of a gallery, and she was offered a solo show. The show was a success because the gallery owner was well-connected and able to supervise her and provide art direction as well. Today, Jade is a full-time artist with a promising career.