5 Tips To Bounce Back In Your Art Business + Feel Empowered After Life Hardships

I get asked this question all the time from artists that took a long break from their art business: How do I start again? It feels daunting to take a long break. I have a chronic illness and I am the poster child of beginning again. Everyday I have to start over, so in this episode I'll share my tips and tricks to begin again when life knocks you down. 

I share five tips to help artists begin working on their art business again after going through a crisis or taking a break. These tips include establishing a morning routine, setting meaningful goals, taking small actions towards those goals, finding accountability, and embracing the concept of beginning again.

In this episode, I share a personal story about losing the love of my life, Gus, and how I was able to bounce back in my art business after taking a break to grieve. 

I am also sharing some good news: we have reached our first hot podcast summer prize milestone! You can find all the podcast prize news inside! 

YOU WILL LEARN:

✓ Mindset is crucial when bouncing back in your art business after taking a break.

✓ Establish a morning routine to start your day off on a productive note.

✓ Set meaningful goals that motivate and excite you.

✓ Take small actions towards your goals, focus on the first step rather than the entire journey.

✓ Find accountability through a support system or an accountability partner.

✓ Embrace the concept of beginning again and know that it's never too late to start over.

AND

00:00:00 | Introduction to the topic of bouncing back in art business
00:02:00 | Personal story about the loss of a beloved pet
00:04:00 | Announcement of reaching a podcast milestone and Prize winner!
00:05:00 | Details of Gus’ illness and my decision to put him down
00:10:00 | Emotional impact and grieving process
00:13:00 | Handling a break in your art business and taking time off
00:15:00 | Five tips to bounce back after a break or hardship
00:18:00 | Importance of accountability and having goals
00:20:00 | The power of beginning again
00:23:00 | Conclusion and message of empowerment and self-kindness

RESOURCES

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Jenna

Transcript

0:00

So the question really is how do you begin again? When you really go through something or you take a break in your art business because. Life comes at you fast. You can't predict it. And your mindset is so crucial. And that's what this podcast is for. It's about the real life stuff. It's about being in this together. And 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 hi, my loves today. I'm going to share a personal story with you, if you can hear that snorting, that slowly, I have her in my lap. If you're not watching on YouTube. Lola is my frenchie And I'm going to tell it to you. Like you're my best friend, because that's what I said in the show opening. I want to share my life with you. The good and the bad. When the story is over, I am going to tie it into an art business lesson that we can all share. Put her in that bed next to my office chair. The question I get from artists all the time is that. They've taken a break from their art business or they've been through a crisis or they've just simply been busy. And they don't know how to get back to their art business. They're overwhelmed at the thought of getting started. It's daunting. This is the perfect story. It's the perfect segue to the five tips to bounce back to your art business when you've gone through something or you've taken a break. but before we begin. Let's start with some good news. We have reached our first milestone and the hot podcast, summer prizes. I told you I was going to share a screenshot of the winning review I'm choosing at random. So go ahead and check the newsletter to see if you won. To sign up for the newsletter it's on Jenna web art.com/podcast. And I'll also make the announcement in our private and free Facebook group that you can join and get the link to when you sign up for the newsletter. So thank you so much. We've reached our first milestone and there's going to be so many more chances to win these amazing prizes. So thanks for supporting the show. It really, really means a lot and it helps a lot. So last Thursday, I lost the love of my life. Um, My 13 year old Boston terrier, Gus. Um, I've had him since he was a puppy and he's been through all of the wonderful times in my life and all the very difficult times of my life. He's been my rock. And he's been my angel. Um, he's 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 last Wednesday morning. I woke up to the sound of what I thought was dog vomit or scratching on the floor. And so when I came to. I realized that my dog was having a seizure. And luckily I was not alone and also very ironically. I had someone, I was newly dating who had slept over. And let's just call him mark, because he looks a little bit like mark Rufallo. If you know who that actor is. So mark definitely rose to the occasion on what was to come. So I said, mark, I think us is having a seizure. And he had been through this. So he looked over the edge of the bed and was like, yeah, he's definitely having a seizure. And I could tell, I mean, he was paddling in the air, foaming at the mouth, all the things, And what was most worrisome is it was a long seizure. And I was just like, why is this happening so long? In all reality, it was probably seven to eight minutes. And what was actually kind of funny? I'm, I'm just weird and I make jokes or I find humor in these situations sometimes. By the time we got to the emergency vet, the vet was like, so how long was the seizure? And I was like, it was 20 minutes. And mark said, Mark was like, it was 10 minutes. So that just goes to show you, like when it's your own baby, like time just is such an illusion. That was my baby. So it just felt like way too long. But the vet was particularly alarmed because when they explained what seizures are for dogs anything over three to five minutes is the danger zone when a seizure lasts that long. So. Mark. I was like, okay, we need to go, we need to go to the emergency vet right now, as soon as the seizure ended. So it was great to not have to go through this alone. You know, I'm, I'm kind of like a trooper in emergency situations. Like I'm, I'm able to just do what I need to do. Like my parents got in a terrible car wreck in October and I was just able to like, Get through it, take action. Do what I need to do. But it was really nice to go through this with a partner or a friend and. So mark drove to the emergency vet and. Gus was a sort of awake. And I'm a little disoriented, but he was awake and he was himself. I was able to hold gus to monitor him. Long story short, I was explained what's up with seizures. Why he likely has it. And. We were sent home with the diagnosis of. Gus is an old dog. It's likely a brain tumor. And I've been prepared because a year ago, Gus was diagnosed with cancer. And so I've sort of been prepared for. You know, I am not going to let my dog suffer. At the first sign of a big medical event, I'm not going to let my dog suffer. So I've been prepared of, you know, what am I going to do? I got this cancer diagnosis in August. And when he made it to the end of the year in December, I couldn't believe it. I was so grateful every month I was counting and I was just so grateful and I've spent extra cuddle time. Like our family routine is to get in bed, our family routine, meaning I'm single. So it's like me, Gus and Lola get in bed, watch a true crime documentary, all snuggle up. And then when it's time for bed, I put them in bed and they go to bed together and they snuggle. So. They are best friends. So then January comes around. He's made it to the new year. And then the summer comes around and he's kicking it. He's kicking and he's going strong. So, Now he's diagnosed with a likely brain tumor that's causing seizures. So the vet sends us home with medicine. And two hours later, he's having a, more of a mild seizure with like facial tremors. So we go back to the emergency vet. And to try to make this long story a lot shorter for you. Basically things are just getting worse over the next 24 hours. I'm bringing him back home. I am not able to give him the stronger medicine they prescribed. His jaw is locked so tightly he's actively seizing for 24 hours guys. It was horrible. He was suffering and this is what I promised myself. I would not let happen to my dog. The love of my life. I decided that I was going to put him down. And so that's what I did. On Thursday, July 20th, I put Gus down. And I went to the vet and they gave him the injections. The vet was very gentle. And he peacefully crossed the rainbow bridge and went to heaven. And 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. 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 and failed engagement. He's been my adventure buddy going on hikes. He's my clown and my cuddle buddy. Definitely my emotional support animal as I have chronic illness. You know, the hardest part is that I am not the only one suffering a, loss here. Lola is without her best friend. And Lola is six and I got her as a puppy. And when I leave the house. I leave Gus and Lola in the room together. And they are 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. And I'll show you in 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, I'm giving her extra love throughout the day. The timing of this is just so weird because. When I record a podcast, I upload it and it automatically gets released at the scheduled time. So when episode 14 was being released at 5:00 AM, that's exactly when Gus was having this epic seizure. And I had already automatically scheduled all my social media posts for the week. So the world had no idea what I was going through through the lens of social media. And of course we never can really know what people are going through through. The lens of social media. And one way I handled this in my art business is. Oh, I definitely took off I canceled meetings. The day of the emergency vet and I canceled meetings the day that I put him down and the next day, and then I had the weekends, so I took my own bereavement to honor. Gus and feel my feelings and go through it. And 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. And 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 you can keep and remember them. And so I want to give you the five. Tips from today's show. They will be there. If you want to give me a follow@jennawebbart.com on Instagram.

Jenna Webb: 13:46

Hey love. What is your biggest art business question or challenge right now? I would love to know. And I would love if you would ask on my podcast voicemail. That's right. Record a voicemail for me. It's so easy to do you just go to my website. You don't have to download a thing. I would love to incorporate your question on the show. To find a link to do this and find a link to many free art business resources and guides that I have for you. Click on today's episode to find the show notes or go to Jenna Webb art.com/podcast.

14:28

So the question really is how do you begin again? When you really go through something or you take a break in your art business because. Life comes at you fast. You can't predict it. And. Your mindset is so crucial. And that's what this podcast is for. It's about the real life stuff. It's about being in this together. And 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. So migraines last anywhere from four to 72 hours and they come with over 100 symptoms that are not just head pain. Now I have chronic migraine. And 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. So 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. So here are your five tips to bounce back in your art business, after a break or a hardship. Number one, having a morning routine really helps me. Just get going when you want to lay in bed. And. Ruminate and dwell 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. I would love to do an entire episode on that. Let me know what your questions are about your morning routine. Number two. Having goals that I am really, really excited about that truly motivate me. 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 that comes out of me, not busy work, but real productivity. So being motivated and having a very meaningful goal. Number three. And I think this is the most important. To beginning again is taking the smallest action towards that goal. The tiniest first step. That you can think of not thinking about the whole mountain, but the first step that you can do. I love what I do so much. I look forward to working. So I. You know, I needed this time to honor Gus and my feelings and go through it. But I knew that once I got the rest I needed and I got back to work. It was going to be a welcome distraction. And a very healthy distraction. So. I've got the time. I need to still honor my feelings because I'm not going to just. Grieve Gus. And like a couple days that's impossible. Aye. I have been spending nights in my bed. I'm listening to a Gus playlist and looking through his pictures and I'm not a crier. But this definitely makes me cry and I think it's helping me process my emotions. So that's really good, but I freaking love what I do every minute of it. Getting up and working in the morning and going through my normal daily routine that I would love to share with you on an episode, gets me really excited. So the daytime feels like a great time to be productive and keep things moving forward and not dwell, but taking action and giving Lola some extra love along the way. Even, you know, most podcasters would remove all the sound from their podcast. But I'm like, no, please stay right here and snore it up, girl. But the truth is we are all capable of doing hard things. We are resilient. And taking it one day at a time and one step at a time. It's going to be okay. You know, I don't, I don't want to begin again. Oh, without Gus. I really don't. Um, But. It will be okay. And I am definitely like a silver linings person. And. This will be a chance to get closer with Lola. Gus likes to wine and. Wake me up at five in the morning. So, uh, w and then bad sleep triggers, migraines. So I might get better sleep. But I would not, I would not trade that for the world, you know? I feel like I'm just running off on a tangent, but if you were my girlfriend or you're my best friend, I would be doing that. If you were sitting here and we'd be having coffee in our pajamas and I'd be crying with you. So there it is. Number four. Is accountability. It really helps me to have some skin in the game. So what I mean by that is. I have a team, I have virtual assistance that I need to get back to. I have customers who are asking me questions who need me. I have students who need me. I have meetings with my partners. It's not only me. That, if I wanted to just. Take off a few months. I can't because I am accountable to other people. And having an accountability partner is something that can help keep you on track and motivated. The meetings that I pushed back last week, they're going to be happening now. I had to get online today and talk to my team. So having skin in the game is really important than just going at it alone because when you go at it alone, Your left here, owned devices and that's not good. I've done that before in my art business. And that really sends you down. A path of nowhere when you're left to your own devices. That's why people struggle so much working from home and get distracted by the laundry or the dishes. Accountability. I know a lot of my art preneur academy, students listen to this. So if you are one of my students, you have a lifetime access to the course. And if you took a break. There is a brand new course roadmap and of course progress tracker to get you right back on track. And it's so easy to begin again and just pick up where you left off because you have that road map and that tracker. And the course lays all the groundwork out for you. You have the exercises, you have the built-in accountability. You have your accountability partner. And it makes it so easy to take action in your business just simply by starting again. You can set your goals. You can begin again. All right. Number five. You can always begin again, just like in meditation. So meditation is focusing on your breath. And when your thoughts. Take you somewhere else, because that is so natural. That's hap that happens to. Everyone who meditates your thoughts? Take you somewhere else. And how you start meditating again. Is you. Take it back to your breath and that's how you begin again. And that has been my metaphor. Ever since I started meditating years ago. It's such a good metaphor for life. And for your art business is you simply begin again. And you have the power to, just like in meditation began again at any moment. So whether that's big picture. Okay. I took a. Longer break than I intended for my art business. And I'm beginning again. Or if it's just During one day. Like for me, for example, if I have a killer migraine in the morning, I take a nap. It takes a medicine. Well, I can start my Workday later. And begin again and just start my routine later in the day. And that's beginning again. So it's never too late to begin again. And I think what we need to do with ourselves as being gentle and kind to ourselves, because when we go through real shit in life And you have to honor your feelings take breaks when you need to In order to be revived and full And motivated. We can't dwell in things forever that's why it's good to Have these goals that are so motivating and exciting and we Take a short break it's good to take the break, self honor, but it's always good to get back to work. Because that makes you feel good right it makes you feel good when you're moving towards something. And the more you practice that, the more you practice beginning again. It'll make you feel Like the empowered artist, like the bad-ass artists that you are. I'm sending you a lot of love today. Thank you so much for listening to my story about gus. And let's all send him some kisses and well-wishes over that rainbow bridge.