“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”

~Richard Bach

You are currently limiting yourself. I know this because you're human and that's what we do. 

As we grow up, we start to build a cage for ourselves. We make it out of things we pick up along the way. We add a brick each time someone says no. We add a brick each time we fail at something. We add several bricks when someone laughs at our dreams, and we add even more when someone simply tell us those dreams are impossible. We also add bricks each time we see one of our parents limiting themselves. Perhaps we see that they don't go for the job they really want, or that they gave up on a dream because it was 'impossible.' And when we observe that, it strengthens our belief that limitations are real.
So we keep building... until pretty soon our prison has a roof. Usually though, we forget the doors and windows.

I hope this week's letter will be the doors and windows for you, because most of our limitations are self-made.

While in California, I discovered that I love to paint on large canvases and panels. Actually this isn't new to me as I did it a few times during my Ted Hughes series, but I had forgotten how much fun it is. I haven't made large paintings like that for a few years and I've told myself it's because big paintings don't sell here in the UK.

Funnily enough, I shared my discovery with a couple of Brits and they both pointed out how hard it is to sell big paintings in the UK. "People don't have big enough walls" one said. "People have no money here said another."

Think about that.... are either of those statements actually true? It is true that some people in the UK don't have big walls - in fact many people don't have big walls. But some people do and I only need some people.

It is also true that many people in the UK are strapped for cash at the moment. Our economy has been suffering for a while. But there are still lots of people who do have money to spend.

And you know the funny thing? When I made those large Ted Hughes paintings, they were among the forst to sell. So I actually had PROOF that my belief was wrong and still I stuck to it.

And this is how limiting beliefs work... for the last few years I've believed that people don't have the space or money for large paintings and so I have shaped my behaviour around that belief. I have only made small pieces. People have bought those small pieces which has only reinforced my belief that people only want smaller paintings. 

And so the cycle goes on. Let's look at another example.... if you believe it's impossible to make a living as an artist, you will will act in accordance with that belief. You might take another job and make art only in your spare time. But of course this will limit the time you can spend learning your craft and it will also limit the time you can spend on marketing.

Now I'm not suggesting it's wrong to have another job - of course not. Everyone must do what suits them. What I am saying is that our beliefs dictate our behaviours, and our behaviours create certain results.

If I am change my belief to "there is a good market for large paintings in the UK," I will immediately start doing different things. I will buy large canvases. I will buy larger quantities of paint. Then if I do make a series of large paintings, I will need to change the way I market them. I may need to find ways to show them in person rather than just online. And then I'll start selling bigger paintings, just like I did back in 2021.

What we think becomes true, because what we believe changes our actions. So what stories are you telling yourself about what's not possible for you? And what else might be possible if you simply challenge those beliefs?