A Practical Way to Simplify Life and Business

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
— Stephen Covey

I don’t need to ask. I already know that for artists today it often feels like there’s always another thing to do, another platform to master, another decision to make. Instead of making life easier, all this advice and innovation can leave us busier than ever—but not necessarily better off.

If you’re constantly hustling but never catching up, you’re not alone. It’s like running on a speeding treadmill, not knowing how or when to step off. Advice that promises simplicity often just adds more to your plate.

It reminds me a little of cookbooks.

If you already have the New York Times Cookbook and a couple of other good ones, you probably have everything you need. Unless you’re looking for something very specific—maybe Beard on Bread—most new cookbooks are just fresh packaging around many of the same recipes.

And if we’re honest, how often do we really open most of them?

The Hidden Cost of “More”

Every new platform, tool, or marketing tactic comes with a cost.

You have to budget for it, learn it, maintain it, and wrap your brain around it.

Each one may seem minor on its own. But together they quietly drain time, attention, and creative energy.

And the financial side isn’t trivial either.

Maybe it’s a $1,500 course. Maybe it’s something discounted from $197 down to $47 if you buy before midnight tomorrow.

Either way, it’s still money spent.

I’ve seen artists spend far more time and money than they planned chasing systems that promised to make marketing easier.

Meanwhile, the most valuable thing they could be doing—building relationships with people who care about their work—often gets pushed aside.

That’s putting things in the wrong order.

What Actually Moves an Art Career Forward

After years of watching creative careers unfold, certain patterns become clear.

You can spend a lot of time and money learning new systems and strategies. If you apply them well, your business may improve. The testimonials often prove that point.

But there’s another path that costs nothing and is just as reliable—if not more so.

It’s the simple act of making genuine connections with people who can help move your career forward.

Most artists underestimate just how powerful that can be.

One way to think about it is in stages.

The Four Degrees of Connection

First degree: Awareness.
Someone knows who you are, but you don’t know who they are. They may have seen an ad, walked past your booth at a show, or come across your work somewhere online. Your name or your work has come to their attention.

Second degree: Recognition.
Now there’s a little more familiarity. If they encounter your work again, they recognize it. Your name rings a bell.

Third degree: Personal Connection.
At this point, the awareness becomes mutual. You know them and they know you. Maybe you spoke at a show, exchanged emails, or had a short conversation about your work.

And this is something you can make happen on purpose.

You might comment thoughtfully on something they posted and receive a reply. You might send a short note to congratulate them, acknowledge their work, introduce yourself, or make a simple request. A mutual connection might even make a referral.

That small step can turn a stranger’s awareness into a real relationship.

Fourth degree: Advocacy.
This is where relationships begin to move a career forward. They buy your work. They introduce you to someone or tip you off to an opportunity you might not have found on your own.

Connections are relationships that grow through degrees of mutual awareness and appreciation.

Once you begin to look at things this way, something becomes clear.

You can deliberately build more of these connections.

Over time, those relationships build on each other, creating momentum that no marketing system can match.

Practical Minimalism

I call this approach Practical Minimalism.

It’s not about doing as little as possible.

It’s about choosing the few things that matter most and letting the rest fall away.

You don’t need to be everywhere or use every marketing system.
You don’t need every new idea that appears.

What you need is a way of working you can sustain without burning out or losing your joy.

The artists I’ve seen build the most satisfying careers usually find a tempo that fits them. They focus on making their work, sharing it in a few steady ways, and building relationships with the people who truly appreciate what they do.

That kind of simplicity might not look flashy from the outside.

But it works.

One Small Thought

If your art business feels complicated right now, ask yourself a simple question.

What could you stop doing that wouldn’t really hurt anything?

Sometimes the smartest move isn’t to add something new.

It’s realizing you already have a good cookbook and getting back to the kitchen.

PS: I don’t mind saying the cost of this advice—and putting it into practice—is offered at my best price: free. But that doesn’t mean it can’t become the most powerful and efficient tool in your marketing kit.

PPS: It happens. We wake up one day, and we’re older. While that signals inevitable change, I’ve found it’s given me new energy for a project I’ll tell you about soon.

See you next week.