By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

“I want to dedicate more time to my art career, but, it’s complicated! Between keeping up with the needs of those around me, trying to figure out how to run my art career and making art, I just don’t have enough hours in a day to do this.”
Does this sound familiar?

We hear over and over about balancing our life and career. But, what on earth does that mean? Are we talking about dedicating 50% of our time to live our life and 50% to make art? Is that possible… Is that realistic?
 
Perhaps some artists can wing it, but, for the rest of us, the 50/50 approach is unreal! Let’s start by clarifying what I don’t mean when I refer to a healthy balance. This is not about adding your life’s circumstances on one weighing pan of a scale of justice and your art career on the other so they’re equally distributed in both sides. The truth is both areas actually...

By Dr. Yanina Gomez

Is this you…?

“There’s so much to do. I’m trying to keep up with my art and Art NXT Level, but I feel like I’m falling behind or missing out!”

Are you feeling that there’s too much stuff in the membership site, you don’t know where to start or you simply don’t want to miss on something important? Are you feeling as if you have to post everywhere, make sure you go over each forum, training video, accountability exercises in order to get the best of your membership? Are you feeling overwhelmed?

Next leveler, if this is you, I have one sentence for you…

“Take a deep breath, relax and keep reading this post!”

When Sergio and I developed Art NXT Level, our main goal was to put together in one place valuable information to help artists grow their art career at their own pace. So if you’re feeling as if you’re experiencing information overload, let me share...

By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

Could you imagine Madam Lisa del Giocondo (Gherardini) suing Leonardo da Vinci for not painting a perfect smile on her portrait? We all know that Lisa’s smile on the painting is not necessarily “perfect.” Even da Vinci couldn’t paint a perfect smile! Yet, his painting, Mona Lisa,is one of the most famous portraits in the world!

The more I work with driven people, the more I notice how they tend to put A LOT of pressure on themselves. They believe that things have to be perfect! My art must be perfect before it comes out or my presentation must be beyond perfect before I share it with others.

“There no time to fix mistakes! Everything must be PERFECT!”

But, why do we put so much pressure on ourselves wanting to be PERFECT? What happens when we fall short on our quest for perfection? Sometimes, I hear artists say that they will find happiness only...

By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

You’re constantly hearing me talk about mindset blocks and the importance of actively addressing and clearing them. The truth is mindset blocks can be very dangerous if we choose to ignore them or allow them to linger in our heads. Yet, they can also be a sign of affirmation that we are pushing ourselves toward growth.

What are Mindset Blocks?

Mindset blocks are limiting beliefs that hold us back from achieving what we set for ourselves. When we are not as confident, when fears and insecurities invade our heads, when we’re constantly questioning ourselves and our abilities, we’re experiencing mindset blocks. So mindset blocks will prevent you from taking the necessary, often challenging, steps to move your art career to the next level. As a result, mindset blocks can potentially lead you to frustration and giving up.

Where do Mindset Blocks come from?

They usually pop up when you’re challenging...

By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

It’s just another morning. Picture me sipping my extra hot double expresso latte, turning on my computer, opening my emails, and there it was… A short venting email from a close friend:

“I’m having a hard time keeping up with everything! Between working full-time on this job that’s sucking my energy (which by the way you know how much I hate it), trying to start my own business on the side, and personal responsibilities, I totally feel burned out! <<Sigh>> How much longer do I have to juggle all this “crap” around (edited to keep it clean-LOL!)? Way too much to handle /:”

Have you been feeling like my friend lately? Hey, you’re not the only one feeling this way. I’m going to share with you what I shared with her… SHORT and SWEET!

As driven people, we want to do it all! And, we are constantly juggling too many things at once. Many of us are so busy that we don’t...

By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

When you hear the word “downer,” I bet someone comes to mind right away! Perhaps this someone’s negativity and bitterness is crushing your soul and sucking up your energy.

For your own sake… it’s time to detoxify your inner-circle by letting go of negative people in your life!

As long as these people stick around, their negative energy will end up influencing you one way or another. Downers bring so much unnecessary stress into our lives. And, you really DON’T need that in your life right now.

Let me demonstrate this for you. 
Think about someone you know who always sees the glass half-empty, is always complaining, is often in a bad mood, criticizing everything and everyone and making everything complicated. Don’t you feel tense just by picturing an image of this person in your head? Even though this person is not with you at this moment,...

By. A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

As the excitement of the holiday season kicks in, high levels of stress follows right after. Whether it’s making sure you get the right gifts, RSVPing for all the holiday parties and gatherings or getting the decorations up, this time of the year can get the best of you!

Why do we get so stressed out during this season? Are we trying to impress others or prove ourselves?

If your stress level is rising up quickly as you begin to anticipate the holidays, you’re up for a bumpy ride. Maybe you’re starting to create never-ending shopping lists, adding parties to your schedule left and right or probably running around like a mad person making sure you get everything on the list [I know you’re checking it twice!]. You’re starting to feel so overloaded and stressed out that you’re likely missing the real meaning of the season.

The good news is that, it’s not too late to slow down! I’m not promising a non-stressful...

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...