Be Fearless

My goal for this year has been to get more organized in my business. You know, doing the things I have put off for years in hope that I would never need them, i.e., my resume.

Being pretty much fearless when it comes to painting, last week I was asked to submit a proposal for a commercial mural project and fear struck when I saw I needed a resume as part of that proposal. It suddenly occurred to me why I had avoided that resume. You see, one on one I had no problem telling people that I was self-taught. When it came to the “Education” portion of a resume putting in writing that I was self-taught seemed embarrassing. It would have felt better to have had a long list of degrees.

Over twenty years of painting murals has taught me a lot about painting, products, design and layout, human relations, marketing (still learning), budgeting, bookkeeping and so much more. Many a day was spent in libraries, on the internet or talking with supply companies. At one point I was asked to hand paint commercial grade wall covering for two fifty foot corridors at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA. After two months of research I found a product that water-based paint might adhere to. I ordered a sample, painted it and shipped it to a chemist to assure that I had adhesion. Yes, 300 pounds of wall covering was painted, what a project! You can check out my website, www.artisticvoyage.com,  to view more commercial projects I have painted .

My proposal has been submitted. Will it make a difference that I have no formal training? Probably not. Does feel good to have my resume completed and to have scratched one more item from my to-do list? Absolutely, I’m glad to have it ready to go if I should need it again. Do you have something you’ve been putting off out of fear, embarrassment, or perhaps because you think you may never need it? Is there anything you have been putting off?  Click “Comment” above or click on one of the photos to leave a comment.

Below is a clip of my grandson in his first grade school play as the “New PianoTeacher”. If only we were all as fearless as a seven year old.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQyolJ5FL6M&feature=email]