Did you know Michelangelo,

the famous painter from the High Renaissance,

was actually a multi-millionaire?

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Yea, you read that correctly.

For many years, historians believed he was one of the "starving artists" that didn't receive praise for his work until after his death.

Recent research proves this to be completely false.

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Historical bank statements reveal that he was more financially affluent than today's doctors, lawyers, and even most entrepreneurs.

But hey since you're a reader of this newsletter,

that shouldn't surprise you.

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One thing I've noticed is..

The more aligned you are with your purpose,

The more you will "accidentally" find the tools to assist you on your journey.

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As I've been unapologetically spreading the message [that artists are meant to thrive (not starve),

and that we have the highest earning potential in the world because of our creative thinking, and habits of creation,]

I stumbled upon a book titled:

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"Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the new Creative Age" By Jeff Goins

Talk about a 1:1 ratio of what I've been preaching.

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So of course I had to pick up the book,

and I must say: I'm loving it already.

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This fact I told you about the Renaissance Painter Michelangelo,

is cited from this book.

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I highly recommend it already,

but since you're busy making art and growing your business you might not believe you have time to read it (yet).

So..

I've decided to start a "Read with Me" series where I bring to you my most important findings in books relevant to the message, here in The Thriving Artists' Newsletter.

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Alright lets get into it--

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We are living in a new creative age, The New Renaissance.

And We (the artists) are the leaders of this revolution.

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Unfortunately over time artists and normies alike have been brainwashed into believing that creative work = broke.

So as I often talk about, we must undo that programming with a shit ton of mental work.

Fortunately, the process of mastering our art form(s) works on us just as we work on it.

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Inspired by Michelangelo's story,

the author Jeff Goins was curious to see if he could find other thriving artists,

and he did.

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In fact,

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He found many thriving creatives in every field,

and he realized that they live by the same principals that Michelangelo lived by.

He calls them "The Rules of the New Renaissance":

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There are 12 rules of the New Renaissance.

These rules are outlined in the introduction and fleshed out in the chapters of the book.

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We'll dive into all of them in more detail as this Read With Me series continues,

but today I couldn't help but dive into the two rules of the New Renaissance that I believe the modern artist NEEDS to hear MOST:

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The Starving Artist despises the need for money. The Thriving Artist makes money to make art.

This is a hugeeee one.

As long as you despise money,

money will despise you too.

And hence,

you will starve.

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I've noticed many artists (including my much younger self),

have this money hating mentality,

but I believe most of why you might have this mentality is because deep down you still think artists can't make money.

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Don't overthink it.

All money is, is value exchange.

If someone gives you money,

that means what you gave them is more valuable to them than what you just got paid.

Hence if you're getting paid, you made someone happier,

and thus made the world a better place.

(yes I know there are corrupt money exchanges, but money itself is not evil.)

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The Thriving Artist desires and is working for the bag,

because more money means more (quality and quantity) art.

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The Starving Artist masters one craft. The Thriving Artist masters many.

Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect, poet, savvy business man, and history says he was pretty funny as well.

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You see,

mastering only one craft is not optimal.

It limits you.

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You as a Thriving Artists must understand the world of business, and that's its own craft.

As well as constantly challenging your creativity in other mediums.

This keeps your creative brain fresh while giving you more to offer the creative market place.

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Sounds difficult? That's because it is.

It is through the hard work that we become enlightened,

it is through the hard work that we find God.

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Starving is naturally easier than Thriving, but which life would you rather live?

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On Friday we'll dive into the first Rule of the New Renaissance:

The Starving Artist believes you must be born an artist. The Thriving Artist knows you must become one.

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If you enjoyed today's article forward this email to a friend,

If you're that sexy friend you can subscribe to The Thriving Artists' Newsletter for 2x weekly knowledge on how to create the life you desire by clicking here.

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And as always you can share this article on your socials by copying and pasting this link: https://thriving-artists.com/2024/04/08/real-artists-dont-starve/

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Dio Deji Oduwole

Creator of The Thriving Artists’ Newsletter

Musician, Music Producer, Music Therapist and Educator

​https://newsletter.thriving-artists.com/​

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