5 Tips to Bounce Back in Your Art Business and Feel Empowered After Life Hardships [Personal Update]
Episode 15 Show Transcript - Empowered Artist Podcast
Today I'm going to share a personal story with you, and I’m going to tell it like I would to my best friend, because I want to share my life with you. When the story is over, I'm going to tie it into an art business lesson that we can all use.
I get the question all the time from artists that they took a long break from the art business and they just don't know how to get started again. It feels daunting to take a long break. So this is the perfect story for my 5 tips to bounce back to your art business.
What questions do you have for me? Let’s do a Q&A episode!
I know this blog is gonna drum up some questions so leave me a podcast voicemail now (and anytime!). Go to JennaWebbart.com/podcast. Give me a thought or question, and I would love to do a Q&A episode.
My Story of Losing Gus
Last Thursday I lost the love of my life - a 13 year old Boston Terrier, Gus. I had him since he was a puppy and he's been with me through all of the wonderful and difficult times in my life. He's been my rock, and he's been my angel. He was definitely my emotional support animal, as much as my best friend. And I'm sure if you have a dog you understand what that's like.
It all started when I woke up last Wednesday morning to the sound of a dog scratching on the floor and it sounded like he vomited. I realized when I came to that my dog was having a seizure. Luckily, I was not alone… and ironically, someone I was newly dating had slept over – let's call him Mark because he kind of looks like Mark Ruffalo.
So, Mark rose to the occasion and played hero in what was to come.
I said, “Mark, I think Gus is having a seizure.” He had been through this, so he looked over the edge of the bed and was like, “yeah, he's definitely having a seizure.” He was paddling in the air, foaming at the mouth, all the things. But what was most worrisome was that it was a long seizure. In all reality, it was probably seven to eight minutes but felt like forever. This part was actually a little funny (I'm just weird and find humor in these situations sometimes)… when we got to the emergency vet, the vet asked, “So how long was the seizure?” And I was like, “it was 20 minutes.” While Mark said, “it was 10 minutes.” That just goes to show you, when it's your own baby, time is such an illusion. This was my baby so it just felt way too long.
Either way, the vet was particularly alarmed because with seizures for dogs, anything over three to five minutes is the danger zone. All things considered, it was great to not have to go through this alone. You know, I'm kind of like a trooper in emergency situations. I'm able to just do what I need to do. My parents for example, got in a terrible car wreck in October and I was just able to get through it, take action. But it was really nice to go through this with a partner or a friend.
So, Mark drove to the emergency vet and Gus was sort of awake - a little disoriented, but he was awake and he was himself. I was able to hold him to monitor him. Long story short, I was explained what was up with his seizures, and why he’s likely having them. We were sent home with the diagnosis of “Gus is an old dog, and it's likely a brain tumor.”
I've been prepared for this because a year ago, Gus was diagnosed with cancer. So I already had in my mind that I'm not going to let my dog suffer. I have been treasuring every moment with him, knowing his time with us was limited. We’ve had extra cuddle time. Our family routine (Me, Gus and Lola, my Frenchie) is to get in bed, watch a true crime documentary all snuggled up. Then, when it's time for bed, I put them in bed together and they snuggle.
What happened next was basically that things just kept getting worse, despite the medication we were sent home with. I couldn’t even give him the medications because his jaw was locked up so tightly. I went back and forth to the vet but ultimately had to decide to put him down. He had been actively seizing for 24 hours guys. He was suffering, and this is what I had promised myself that I would not let happen to my dog.
On Thursday, July 20th, I put Gus down. I went to the vet and they gave him the injections. The vet was very gentle. He peacefully crossed the rainbow bridge and went to heaven. I have never put a dog down. I've never had an old dog. I've had Gus since he was a puppy. So this was just incredibly hard.
Gus has been there with me through every excruciating migraine I've ever had. I throw my comfy clothes on and the first thing I do is grab Gus and we go cuddle and take a nap. He's been there through every heartbreak, including one failed engagement. He's been my adventure buddy going on hikes. He was my clown and my cuddle buddy. Definitely my emotional support animal as I have chronic illness.
The hardest part is that I am not the only one suffering a loss here. Lola is without her best friend. Lola is six and I got her as a puppy. When I leave the house, I leave Gus and Lola in the room together. They’ve always cuddled. Like right now I have this little bed next to me in the office and it's the size for one small dog, like one French bulldog, but Gus and Lola will sleep in it together. I'll show you on my Instagram. They'll sleep in it together on top of each other. It's adorable. And then Gus will lick her incessantly all day long. It's hilarious. I'm like, no, that's not his sister. That's his sister wife. They are lovers. I think Gus lasted so long after his cancer diagnosis, because he had Lola to keep him going so strong.
So Lola is a bit confused and she's not really eating, but I'm giving her extra love throughout the day.
One way I handled this in my art business was I took time off, and I canceled meetings. The day of the emergency vet, I canceled meetings, the day that I put him down, and the next day. Then I had the weekend, so I took my own bereavement to honor Gus and feel my feelings and go through it. I have virtual assistants who handled tasks for me. The more important meetings I had on schedule, I just pushed out.
I'm going to be sharing some memorial reels of Gus on Instagram so you can see like the cute things that I'm telling you about Lola. But as I've told you before, I love to share quotes and art business takeaways from every single episode on Instagram so that you can keep and remember them.
I want to give you the five tips from today's show there, so if you want to give me a follow on Instagram,
Find me: @jennawebbart
The question is, how do you begin again?
How do you get back at it when you’ve really gone through something, or you take a break in your art business? Life comes at you fast. You can't predict it. And, your mindset is so crucial. That’s what this podcast is for. It's about the real-life stuff. It's about being in this together. It's about balancing our lives and our art businesses. So our hearts feel whole and complete, and we can say motivated and excited about what we're doing.
So how do you begin again? Well, first of all, I'm going to raise my hand and tell you I am the poster child of beginning again. If you're not familiar with chronic migraines - which is what I have - they last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours and they come with over 100 symptoms that are not just head pain.
I have chronic migraine. By definition, what that means is that you have migraine symptoms for 15 days a month or more. But, I am actually a severe case. I kind of blow my own neurologist's minds. I have nearly daily chronic migraines that knocked me on my ass. And I constantly am beginning again.
And I will tell you, it's never too late to begin again. No matter what your goal is. I do it every day.
I routinely have to pick myself up and get going again. So this is how I do it:
Five Tips to Bounce Back in Your Art Business, After a Break or a Hardship.
Tip 1: Establish a Morning Routine
Having a morning routine really helps me get going when I want to lay in bed and ruminate or sleep in. It's so easy to succumb to that. But if you have a morning routine that gets you up and moving, that is the most solid and epic way to start your day.
A morning routine sets the tone for the rest of the day and helps us overcome the temptation to dwell on negative thoughts or procrastinate. By establishing a routine that energizes and motivates us, we can kickstart our productivity and set ourselves up for success.
Tip 2: Find Meaningful Goals
Having goals that I am really, really excited about that truly motivate me helps so much. Because when I'm not motivated, I don't do much. But the more motivated I am and the more excited I am, the more actual productivity comes out of me.
Meaningful goals provide us with a sense of purpose and drive. When we have something to strive for, we are more likely to stay focused and take action. By identifying goals that truly excite us, we can tap into our inner motivation and achieve greater productivity in our art businesses.
Tip 3: Take the Smallest Action
Taking the smallest action towards that goal, the tiniest first step that you can think of, and not thinking about the whole mountain, but the first step that you can do, goes a long way.
When faced with overwhelming tasks or the daunting prospect of starting over, it's important to remember that progress begins with small steps. By breaking down our goals into manageable actions, we can build momentum and gain confidence in our ability to move forward. Taking that first small step is often the hardest, but it sets us on the path to success.
Tip 4: Embrace Accountability
Having skin in the game is really important, rather than just going at it alone. When you go at it alone, you're left to your own devices, and that's not good.
Accountability plays a crucial role in our journey towards success. By involving others in our art business endeavors, whether through partnerships, virtual assistants, or accountability partners, we create a support system that keeps us on track. When we have commitments to others, we are more likely to stay motivated and accountable for our actions.
Tip 5: Begin Again, Always
You can always begin again, just like in meditation. When your thoughts take you somewhere else, you take it back to your breath, and that's how you begin again.
Beginning again is a powerful concept that applies not only to our art businesses but also to life in general. Just as in meditation, where we refocus on our breath when our thoughts wander, we can always start anew. No matter how many setbacks we face or breaks we take, we have the power to begin again at any moment. It's never too late to pick up where we left off and continue our journey towards success.
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Remember, it's never too late to begin again. Take that first small step, stay motivated, and keep moving forward. With resilience and determination, you can overcome any obstacle and achieve your goals. So, let's embrace the power of beginning again and make our art businesses thrive.
Love and Positive Vibes,
Jenna
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