By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

Chances are your mind is pretty cluttered and you’re feeling stressed out. Are you thinking about a 100 things that need to be done or resolve as you’re trying to fall asleep? Consider these 2 things before getting up or heading to bed:

PRAYER
Before getting up or heading to bed, take a moment to pray. Prayer often provides a sense of peace as you vocalize and share your worries and needs with God. Each morning, I get on my knees to ask God for his peace, protection and guidance. What’s your spiritual strength? I encourage you to stay connected to your source of light and peace!

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
A 2015 study found that people in a mindfulness training program improved on sleep, depression, and fatigue. So before you get up or head to bed, I encourage you to take a moment to practice mindfulness meditation. Need some suggestions? I’ve got you covered! Click HERE to access free library of audio resources for...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

Are you more reflective, observant, cautious and highly in tune with your internal dynamics? Do you prefer quietness, minimally stimulating environments and perhaps social events are really not your preference?

Drive comes in various ways and one way isn’t better than the other. To some, drive emerges during solitude and self-reflection whereas others prefer a go-getter approach. You might prefer to work alone because you can focus better whereas others perform better when they share ideas and collaborate with others.

If you consider yourself a driven introvert artist, let me share with you a few suggestions to effectively navigate through social situations (networking, openings, etc.) and also prepare yourself for Artist Talks.

Let’s start with Networking Events!

1. Set a Social Event Attendance Goal.
Decide the number of social events you will attend each month. Be realistic! If social situations really cause you stress, then start...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

In the Thinking Big series, I’ve been challenging you to always think like there’s no box and aim high when it comes to your personal growth and taking your art career to the next level. But, the key here is to be intentional and make it a habit! In the last 4 blog posts, I shared with you 4 secrets to thinking big.

They are:

• The value of creating a mental picture of your goal
• Falling in love again with the real reason why you started your business by answering the question: Why Do I Want to Do This?
• Create a Plan of Action. Write down your epic idea or goal, set micro-goals that will lead to achieving your goal, plug in timelines and create a budget.
• Identify the resources you need to set your business up for success.

And in this post, I will be sharing with you my last secret which is… Keep an Optimistic Mindset.

Keeping an optimistic mindset comes easy when things are flowing smoothly. But, if you’re like me, when the...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

So far, I’ve been challenging you to ALWAYS think big. Make it a habit! In previous blog posts, I shared with you 3 secrets to thinking big:

The value of creating a mental picture of your goal
Falling in love again with the real reason why you started your business by answering the question: Why Do I Want to Do This?
Create a Plan of Action – writing down your idea or goal, plugging timelines, creating a budget and defining resources. Today, I will be dissecting the last one.
So, this week’s secret is: Identify the Resources You Need to Set your Business Up for Success

As you begin to put together the pieces of your business’ puzzle, you’ll soon realize that you need the right resources to make it happen. It;s important to be a proactive art entrepreneur but also maintain a realistic approach.

What I mean by this is that we have to have an awareness that unexpected situations and hurdles may come along the way. Notice I said...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

I’m always excited to share with you tips and strategies to maintain a healthier and stronger mindset!

So far, we’ve been talking about challenging ourselves to think big. In previous posts, I shared with you 2 secrets to thinking big:

The value of creating a mental picture of your goal.
Falling in love again with the real reason why you started your business by answering the question:
Why Do I Want to Do This?
By now, you should have a clear idea of your business’ goal and identified all the reasons why you should pursue or continue pursuing your business. And also, you’ve identified possible consequences should you choose not to pursue or continue to pursue your business or idea.

Now it’s time to reveal secret #3: Create an ACTION PLAN

Once you have a clear picture of your idea or goal, write it down. Formalize it to make it official! Clearly state what you want to achieve always thinking it should be concrete and doable....

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

Did you take some time this past week to create a mental picture of your goal? Remember, having a vivid and clear idea of where you want your business to be (or where YOU want to be) is the first step to thinking big!

As a reminder, last week’s questions were:
1. What do you want for your business?
2. What do you want to see happening in your business in the next 6 months?

As I’ve mentioned before, we set a barrier by the way we think about ourselves which is why you have to aim for the top, think big!

This week’s secret is… Why Do I Want to Do This?

Sometimes we are so busy with our lives and working so hard to grow our businesses that, we forget the reasons why we decided to make art or start our own business in the first place. As a result, our efforts become a tedious, boring routine. And, if you’re like me, routines can kill my inner-fire in no time. That’s why it’s important that you take some time to...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

How are things going with the goals you’ve set for your art career? I bet you’re pumped up but also feeling a little scary about this entrepreneurial journey. You’re putting yourself out there and you’re starting to feel a little vulnerable.

Your inner voices are getting loud reminding you of all the things that can go wrong once you put yourself out there. They are probably telling you that your art trajectory is not good enough, others are way ahead of you, so why bother trying, it’s too risky, no one will care about your art and the list goes on.

We set a barrier by the way we think about ourselves. We often prefer to play safe. And frankly, you will rarely achieve above what you set for yourself. You ought to aim for the top and think big! As big thinkers say, magic happens when you challenge yourself and think like there’s NO box.

In the next 5 weeks, I’m sharing with you each week a secret to...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

How many times have you lost something that you need? Maybe you’ve lost your favorite jewelry, car keys or your phone. Although it’s quite annoying to lose these things, often times, we can replace them. But, there’s one thing you can’t replace or regain. And, if you don’t pay close attention, it can be so detrimental to your personal and professional growth. What would that be?

“TIME is the one thing in life you can’t regain, no matter how much you try.”
Time is precious and we ought to use it wisely. We all have 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 52 weeks per year. Why do you think some people can accomplish so much and others can’t? These people are not cloning themselves yet. They simply take “time” seriously. Successful people create a plan, a strategy and use their time productively. You won’t see them spending hours playing games, in...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

IF YOU WERE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?

This question seems simple… But don’t be fooled by its simplicity as it does have deep implications.

I know, you’re probably saying…

“Why are you asking this question Dr. Gomez? Are you trying to psychoanalyze me?”

No, I’m not trying to psychoanalyze you. But what I would love to do is to encourage you to think about this question for a second. What one thing comes to your mind? Why would you do it differently? When we reflect on our pasts, it gives us a reason to live fully today while we’re building our future. Maybe your past was infused with love, encouragement and support. Or, maybe it was not quite like that at all. Maybe you experienced unpleasant situations, made foolish mistakes and missed out on amazing opportunities. 

We can’t change the past but we can certainly learn from it. We can choose...

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

I don’t know if you’ve experienced this but, I’ve met people who LOVE to give their opinions and feedback without me asking. There are times in which they are constructive and fruitful, yet other times they are very destructive and unwelcome. People love to share their opinions. My husband and I have a teenager and a 10-years old. Still, people are happy to tell us that we should have a third child. Can you believe this? For crying out loud..!

There is an elite human species known as authentic-minded individuals. They tend to demonstrate care, compassion, honesty and legitimate desire to help and see you succeed. They might be where you want to be, have walked through your shoes or perhaps is someone who truly have your best interest in mind.

And, there are those who enjoy sharing their pessimistic and senseless opinions. Somehow, they believe that they are helping you. Those who say that art is not a real career or that your art is not...