How Artists Achieve Breakthroughs

Artists achieve breakthroughs by confronting their fears and pushing past inner blocks, often through intentional acts that challenge their comfort zones. This process, as illustrated by facing a deep-seated fear like shark diving, expands creative output and opens new opportunities. For many artists, fear and overwhelm are epidemic, stopping even the most talented. By doing something that scares you, you shift energy, break through stuck-ness, and develop into the person you imagine you'll be once you attain your deepest wishes. This approach helps artists become unstoppable, transforming frustration into triumph and accelerating their journey towards their goals. No, you don’t need to jump into shark-infested waters. But you do need to stretch yourself. Are you shy? Challenge yourself to go to an art opening and initiate at least three conversations. Are you afraid of heights? Jump on a ferris wheel. Feel the victory! Stop putting your energy into what you don’t have, what you’re not doing. Instead, step into your next self, really experience it, even celebrate it. And show The Universe that you’re ready. Listen, the world is full of sharks. It’s full of those things that threaten to hurt you or even swallow you whole. But trust me, once you look a shark in the eye you’ll find that it’s not so scary after all. So dive in, the water’s warm! Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)