Step

21

Don’t stop believing in luck

My married friends Tom and Christine are fantastic artists who live and paint in the Yorkshire town of Otley. Two things make this couple extremely rare, possibly even unique. Firstly, Tom and Chris paint on the same canvas, often at the same time, producing truly joint works of art (surprisingly they seem to be able to do this without any artistic or marital disputes).¹ Secondly, they are very, very lucky. Other painters often say to them things like: “I wish people would pay me what they pay you.” “If only I had more time to paint, like you, instead of having to hold down a full-time job.” “It’s OK for you, I’d have to move to London to be as successful.” “I can’t ever imagine being as lucky as you with people ringing me up all the time, or knocking on my door, wanting to buy my paintings.”

I asked Tom about this. He says: “Sure we’re lucky. I mean OK, we used to have full-time jobs and could only paint at night. But because it’s what we love to do, that wasn’t a problem. We’d often stay up all night to get a painting finished. I always had a belief that we were good painters and that people would want to buy our stuff. I just started working my way through the phone book, calling hundreds of complete strangers, individuals, companies, restaurants, anybody I could think of, and seeing if they were interested in buying our paintings. It took me about two or three years, and lots and lots of rejection, to learn how to sell our wares and get paid what we were worth. Eventually, we had enough work for me to concentrate on painting full time. Chris still held down a regular job, which helped pay the bills, while every spare moment she’d be painting or on the phone too, drumming up more commissions. At last, having built up a successful track record and after lots of searching, we found an agent and could now afford for us both to paint full time. Any of my friends could do what we’ve done, but first they’d have to stop using their favourite excuses like it’s luck or if only this or if only that were to happen. They must stop waiting to be discovered, for things to happen, and get off their backsides and do something about it. They must make it happen.”

Nice try Tom, but that’s not going to stop us thinking you and Chris were just fortunate. You lucky people.

Don’t be aware that when you change, commit to something new, you can expect resistance from everyone and especially your friends, or as William Penn Patrick put it: “No person, idea or institution becomes great until great resistance has been encountered.” Most people, unlike Tom and Chris, don’t want to make waves or be criticised. Yet it’s the criticism of friends and family that could be the biggest factor in holding you back.

Statistically speaking, if your parents didn’t have children, neither will you; five out of four people struggle with fractions; three out of four people make up 75% of the population; and 47.3% of statistics are made up on the spot. But what’s certainly true is that the vast majority of people believe in luck. It’s the best way to avoid responsibility. Trouble is, you can’t take credit for the good stuff that happens either.

¹ You can check out Tom and Chris’s paintings at www.reltonmarine.com or on Instagram @reltonmarine