Hello! How are you this week? 

I am here to share some more motivation and inspiration with you, and this week I want to touch on the importance of believing in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s hard to convince others to believe in you too. 

Now, this week I have been speaking to the Hub members a lot and it was such a common theme, and it just keeps blowing my mind; it’s the success and the transformation that people are having this year, the most turbulent year we’ve all faced. It’s just incredible.

Growth and transformation

I think there are many reasons for this. One reason being is people have turned to art this year, more than others. It has meaning, it can bring light, hope and inspiration to people. We are so fortunate that people are buying art more than ever. Another reason is that people are spending more time at home, they aren’t spending money on holidays and going out. Their homes have become a priority whilst we’ve been in lockdown and this has had a great impact on our industry. 

But, more importantly to me, I have seen people grow and transform as artist’s and it’s just been the most amazing thing to watch. This isn’t to say these members haven’t had times where they wanted to give up, where times were hard and things were tough. They all have their own journey and stories to tell, but they all believe in themselves as artists now and I just love that! 

I have seen people who are really frustrated, feeling lost with their art and their journey. They are seeing people have success and they wonder why they aren’t gaining that success. It is so difficult to be in this situation. Trust me, I know, I have been there. It can be soul destroying, but it is so important that we get to these points. It’s when we are in these times of uncertainty and frustration that we can realign our thoughts. We can go back to the 7 Keys, change some things and work on our mind to refocus. 

Hub Member – Julie

A member called Julie Cunningham was one of these people feeling so lost and frustrated. She sent me a message and I could just tell she was close to giving up. Now, one of the best things about our Hub community is we all cheer each other on. We pick each other up and it’s just brilliant. So when Julie shared her frustration with the group everyone rallied around and gave her a boost. 

Julie then went back to the course material that is inside the Hub, the 7 keys, and went back through it with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. Julie really worked on her mindset and the way she was thinking and this did wonderful things for her. 

Now, a few months on, Julie started to reconnect after going back over the course material. She’s now getting commissions, she is selling her artwork, she is building connections with other artists and really building momentum. And most importantly, she is now calling herself an artist and believing in herself. 

Julie said that her husband was filling in a form for insurance and he put occupation down as an artist. She said it was then, in that moment that all felt so real. It was an ‘oh my gosh’ moment. 

Hub Member – Simone

Simone is another member of the Hub, and it was just on Friday that she had been busy churning out artwork, but she was just too scared to put it out there. She felt too vulnerable and it was also personal. However, Simone finally plucked up the courage to share her work. It was whilst we’ve been doing our challenge this month within the Hub that she found this courage. We’ve been challenging each other to do something that’s out of your comfort zone and ‘just do it’. 

So, Simone finally decided to put her work on Instagram, using the steps that are taught from inside the Hub. What happened is just amazing. Day one, the first piece of artwork she shared, she sold. Day two, Simone shared her second piece of artwork and sold it. The same happened on day three, four and five. She was absolutely flabbergasted and wished she had done it sooner. 

Simone had put the work in with 7 keys beforehand, but it just reminded me how we can all stall because we’re afraid of the unknown. If we keep working on our mindset we are then able to take the right steps that we need to move forward and grow as an artist. 

Hub Member – Kirstie

I have so many stories showing how people have grown and started to believe. Another Hub member, Kirstie shared a story with us last week. Back when she first called herself an artist it brought her so much anxiety, so much that she ended up in bed for days. She said it was just awful. However, she took the steps, worked on her mindset and the 7 keys and kept trying. 

It has been a challenge but Kirstie has done and taken the steps. We are in this for the long game and she has had rejections, knock backs but has kept going. Most recently, back in October Kirstie started to sell her artwork on cards and put them out there. Now, she was expecting to sell a few, but within a few weeks she has sold around 200 boxes. It has changed her life! 

Always believe!

All these stories show you that yes, things can be hard and slow and you need to commit to a long ride, but it is so worth it when you reach it and gain success. And whilst the journey can be long and hard, you need to constantly work on your mindset and simply believe in yourself.

You achieve great things and you will.

Much love, 

Michelle xx