Book Club Reboot:  Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

Book Club Reboot: Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

Book Club Reboot: Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Adding a reading habit to your routine can offer valuable ideas for your art business.  To encourage you in that effort, Artisan Advantage is getting ready to reboot the Artist Book Club.  This time around, the Club is going to be a more interactive model.   While details are put into place, we’re going to review some books on past Artisan Advantage reading lists.  Hopefully, you will find something helpful here for your business.

Here we’ll revisit Stephen R. Covey’s timeless masterpiece, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  This book has guided people of all professions seeking personal and professional growth. In this past book club pick, Covey presents a holistic approach to self-improvement that goes beyond productivity tips. Here’s a bit of what makes this book a universal classic.

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7 Habits Recap

Covey’s first three habits revolve around personal effectiveness. The foundational “Be Proactive” encourages taking responsibility for your choices, while “Begin with the End in Mind” stresses the importance of setting clear goals. “Put First Things First” urges prioritization based on importance rather than urgency, a concept that can revolutionize time management.

The following three habits deal with interpersonal effectiveness. “Think Win-Win” advocates for a mindset of collaboration and mutual benefit. “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood” highlights communication – critical in building meaningful relationships. “Synergize” emphasizes the power of teamwork and the creation of solutions greater than the sum of their parts.

Covey’s final habit, “Sharpen the Saw,” emphasizes self-renewal through physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development. This habit underscores the importance of continuous growth and balance in our lives.

Covey’s principles are not quick fixes but enduring, guiding philosophies.

Get your book here. 

How Can I Apply This to My Art Business?

While the book doesn’t focus specifically on the art industry, its principles are universally applicable and can be adapted to various professional contexts, including the art world. Here’s how these habits can apply to an art business:

1 – Be Proactive

To be proactive means taking control of your business. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come your way, actively seek out exhibitions, collaborations, and networking events. Take responsibility for your artistic direction and business decisions.

2 – Begin With the End in Mind

Define your vision and long-term goals. Consider where your art business will be in three, five, or ten years. This habit helps you create a roadmap for your artistic journey.

3 – Put First Things First

Prioritize your art marketing and proactive business activity. Allocate time for creating new artwork and developing your skills. Don’t let distractions consume all your time; focus on what will move your business forward.

4 – Think Win-Win

Collaborations and partnerships can be very beneficial for an art business. Approach negotiations and collaborations with a win-win mindset, seeking mutually beneficial outcomes. Building positive relationships with galleries, collectors, and fellow artists can lead to long-term success.

5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood:

Effective communication is crucial in your business. Understand the needs and preferences of your target audience and collectors. Listening and empathizing with their perspectives can help you create art and communications that resonate with them.

6 – Synergize

Collaboration can lead to innovative projects and increased exposure—partner with other artists, galleries, or organizations to create unique exhibitions or events. Combining your strengths can lead to greater success than working alone.

7 – Sharpen the Saw

Self-care is essential, particularly with a self-owned business. Take time to nurture your creativity, mental well-being, and physical health. Continuous learning and personal development will enhance your artistic skills and business acumen.

Applying these habits to your art business can help you become a more effective artist-entrepreneur. You can build a thriving art business that reflects your passion and creativity by aligning your actions with your artistic vision, improving communication, and fostering positive relationships within the art community. Covey’s principles provide a framework for achieving personal and professional success in art.

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Let’s Try This Again! A Book Club for Visual Artists

The best laid plans sometimes get off track.  The good news is that you can always get back on track.  In this case, it’s with the Artisan Advantage Book Club.

The Artisan Advantage Book Club

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while or a long term subscriber to my newsletter, you might remember the Artisan Advantage Book Club.  You might also remember that I posted in one of my weekly newsletters about how I had a very difficult time reading in 2020.  With that struggle, I stopped reading my book club selection, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

I finally re-started this book, and am so glad that I did.  It has really helped me to get focused.

This is not a new book, but it was on my reading list forever.

the War of Art
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Here is an overview of the book taken from Goodreads.

Internationally bestselling author of Last of the Amazons, Gates of Fire, and Tides of War, Steven Pressfield delivers a guide to inspire and support those who struggle to express their creativity. Pressfield believes that “resistance” is the greatest enemy, and he offers many unique and helpful ways to overcome it.

 

Join the Book Club

Joining “the Club” just means that you commit to reading this book and seeing if you can find something useful to help you with your art business.

You could win a free book!

There have been some changes to the  Book Club. Instead of randomly selecting a winner from my email list, I am going to offer a trivia contest in one of my weekly emails every month. The last book selection will be the source of the question.  This gives you another reason to follow along with the Club!

If you’re not already subscribed, join my email newsletter here.

Do you have an idea for the book club?  Share book suggestions with becky@artisan-advantage.com.  

Reading Recap: Private Victory

If you’re reading through the Artisan Advantage Book Club pick for February, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and made it through the first three habits, you’ve learned about the importance of Private Victory.    Private Victory simply means mastery of self – taking responsibility for yourself, identifying your mission and then doing the things you need to do to live it out.  The first three habits are ones that will serve you well in all areas of your life, including your art business.

Consider how each habit can apply to your creative venture.

Be Proactive

I often hear artists speak negatively about their ability to sell and run their art business.  Can you think of times that you might do this?   Can you make a conscious effort to be more proactive in how you talk to yourself?  Are there potential roadblocks that you might come across in the future that you can deal with proactively instead of reactively?

Begin with the End in Mind

Whether working with a group or an individual artist, one of the first things I ask them to do is to write out their business vision.  This Habit takes it a step further, asking you to write your life mission. Can you add some time to your routine to start working on your personal mission statement?  Then, you can write or revisit your business vision, ensuring that it is congruent with your mission.  The mission and vision will serve as the guide for your art business.

Put First Things First

This is simply figuring out what activities take priority in your business and then executing them.  Which activities need to take top priority in your art business?

I hope you are finding the book beneficial.  Please share your thoughts with me at becky@artisan-advantage.com.

Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash

Pittsburgh Area Art Marketing Round Table

Are you struggling to write an artist statement? Do you need an artist statement, but are unsure where to begin writing one?

Pittsburgh and surrounding area artists are invited to participate in an Art Marketing Round Table Discussion, hosted by Gilberti Fine Art Studio and Gallery in Coraopolis, PA.   Art marketing consultant Becky Sciullo and artist/gallery owner Cindy Gilberti will lead a discussion focused on writing an artist statement.   There are two different opportunities to attend in order to accommodate schedules.

The round tables will start with a short 15 minute overview of the topic, followed by group discussion with an opportunity for artists to ask questions, share ideas and listen to what other artists have to say about the topic.

The events are free of charge.  Size is limited to 15 participants per session and pre-registration is required.  Please register at one of the links below.
If you have an artist statement that you’d like to share or review, bring it along. If not, that’s fine too! Just come prepared to take notes.

Sign up for one of the sessions below!

Tuesday June 20th 
10 am – 12 pm

Saturday June 24th
10 am – 12 pm

 

 

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