Category: WHAT ARE WE THINKING at Rafi and Klee

I am currently recording audiobooks and wanted to reflect on something I think is important for the creative mind. I also want to update everyone that has supported my books and is waiting on the two audiobooks I’m working on. So if your jam is a dose of inspiration and an update, then read on!

It’s been quite the adventure to become a published author. Over the last few years, I have released three books, a workbook, and an audiobook. All this while juggling this crazy journey called life. Since September 26th, 2020 when I announced that I would be releasing my second book, you have been on a whirlwind adventure with me.

• Since that time, we have experienced:
• The emotional aspects of writing a marketing book during a pandemic.
• Navigated supply shortages.
• A hurricane.
• Power outages for weeks.
• A fungus gnat invasion.
• A thumb drive and several hard drives crashing with essential notes.
• Loss of internet for weeks.
• Holiday art commission overwhelm.
• The stress of several large solo art exhibitions.
• Dealing with a leak that destroyed our studio.
• An epic journey to find a house, and we did!
• Moving across the country in a terrifying Uhaul.
• Art studio shutdowns.
• Losing money to a conman.
• Plumbing issues.
• Spending more money than we are comfortable with on repairs.
• Getting used to cold winters and shoveling snow again.
• More plumbing issues.
• Lack of sleep.
• Fatigue from moving, repairs, and stress, while trying to juggle everything.
• Burnout.
• Scrapping 6 hours of audiobook recordings because I sound like a robot.
• And acclimating to our new life.

I know most of this sounds like a terrible time, but honestly, I’m just listing the things that happen in life. In between and even during a lot of this craziness, there was a lot more good. A lot of laughter, overcoming, and persistence to remember that life doesn’t have to be all sunshine and roses to be remarkable. It is what you make it. The truth is, everyone is on their own odyssey and confronting the things that challenge them. However, not everyone gets to share it with fabulous people. And for that, I want to thank you. Thank you for sticking with me on this journey of ups and downs.

I think the most important thing to remember when having our ups and downs is that it is easy to remember things as the cause of unhappiness. This makes the less than great event stand out as an example of what your life is like. In reality, every moment is an opportunity to show yourself what you are capable of. You can either face a challenge with joy and determination, or let it eat you alive. Once you experience that, you show yourself that you are unstoppable. So, you continue moving forward on your journey instead of letting it come to a halt. We will be on the journey for the rest of our lives, so we might as well be the champions that we are.

I now ask that you continue the journey with me a little longer. Unfortunately, I will not be able to release the audiobooks for the marketing book or money book by September 5th as I hoped. As much as I wanted to meet that deadline, it will not work for me. To not experience burnout again (as I promised myself and many of you), I have decided to extend the deadline to the beginning of November 2022. I may get it done earlier, and if that happens, I will make an exciting announcement. However, I am taking my time with this project because I want it to sound conversational like my last audiobook and not like someone trying to rush through a book. Thank you for your continued patience.

This weekend, I will be doing my first book fair, and I am both nervous (silly brain jar) and excited. We also have an extensive art exhibition running right now that has been extended through September. If you happen to be in Oil City, the fair is called: The Annual Oil Region Festival of the Book and will be on Saturday, August 27, 2022 from 10am-2pm. The Festival will be held in the Central Avenue Plaza in Oil City, PA (right outside the Oil City Library!).

We will then be at Graffiti Gallery from 2pm – 6pm, showing our art and doing a giveaway of sorts.

Thank you all so much for your love and support. You have been so supportive. I have received so many comments from you about the books and how much they mean to you. Thank you. In those times when it feels like the shit is hitting the fan, it is inspiring to know that what I share has a place in your heart and mind.

Artists will contact us every once in a while telling us they have no time to create art. Between house chores, work, and taking care of someone else’s needs, they find themselves at odds with what they want. They explain how they feel guilty even thinking about taking creative time. That guilt is compounded when the people around them think that creating art doesn’t matter. This guilt and perception can add a lot of undue stress which will lead to less creating.

It’s funny to me that the perception exists in the world that says that artists don’t do anything important. Some people believe that our lives are stuffed with unicorn farts and rainbow ice cream. It’s been an insane couple of years for us. We’ve had a few large art exhibitions, commissions, power outages, bad weather, art studio closures, moving across the country, and don’t even get me started on water leaks or plumbing. We’ve also dealt with butt hurt friends, rejection, financial struggles, and all other manner of emotionally draining events. Things always felt worse when I didn’t give myself the space to create. 

I’ll be honest, as much as I hate to admit it, some of it has been stressful. Not because things go wrong. That’s just life. We all know that the shit will hit the fan at some point just to keep us on our toes. 

No, it’s not the events or circumstances that happen in life that bring me stress. In actuality, it is the crap that goes on in my brain that stresses me out. It’s the excuses I use to not create or do what I want. Klee and I do a lot of stuff that we consider fun. We make art, jewelry, film videos, play music, design t-shirts, manage an online community of awesome rogue artists, write books, and record podcasts. We do whatever we think will be fun. We also do all the things that people consider not as much fun. Things like managing our business, yard work, house repairs, and other domestic arts (as one of the Rogues called it). Add to that all the different components that come with life, relationship, home, and work, and it can all feel overwhelming. 

However, it’s just life. It’s every moment. And moments are precious. But, art is what allows me to process it all.

One thing I like to remind myself of is that overwhelm is not what is going on around you, but what you think your role is in what is happening. Honestly, it is reminding yourself that you can just walk away or say no. It’s easy to feel like things would fall apart without you, but trust me, things probably feel like they’re falling apart anyhow. 

On the flipside, it is also ok to say yes. It’s also ok to say you don’t want to do something any more… I mean, it’s your life, you get to choose how you want to live it. 

Now, if you do happen to do a million things, and can’t find time for what you want, here are some best practices for you that I have learned the hard way.

STAY POSITIVE AND CREATE

Don’t get wrapped up in the humble brag that you are the busiest person in the world. It is easy to exclaim to the world that you are the busiest human on the planet. I’m not saying you are not, but constantly repeating that mantra for yourself can have some bad results. Tell yourself that you have a choice on how you decide to spend your time. You may make a lot of excuses on why you can’t find time to create when you are wrapped up in your drama, but there is always time if you decide there is. Even 30 minutes of creating is better than no minutes.

HAVE SOME KIND OF PLAN

I hate planning things. I hate schedules. I hate when a past version of me writes something down telling me I need to do something. Why didn’t he do it? That being said, when you are juggling a lot, it is important to make a plan and space it out. Honestly, each day should have no more than four large tasks. If you have more than that, you will run yourself into the ground. However, plan the things you want to do and make it sacred. That means that NO ONE has the right to guilt you out of your plans. It is not selfish for you to want to create, it is selfish of others to monopolize your time and keep you from doing what you want in life.

DON’T JUST SAY YES

It’s ok to say no. You gotta take care of yourself. Also, if you can’t finish something in time, just get it done when you can. Don’t kill yourself to finish it. People might expect things and it might be time to introduce them to a word that they may have not heard from you yet. 

THE DISHES CAN WAIT

Honestly, when it comes to doing dishes or creating art, art will win every time. Also, if there are more than one of you in your household, it might be time for other people to pitch in and ease up time for you. 

COMPLETE AT LEAST 1 THING A DAY

You can be busy all day, from phone calls to finalizing a large project. However, forming the habit of working on art every day is important. Try to complete something, It doesn’t matter what it is, it can be a quick sketch, just give yourself a sense of completion. 

FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME

People out there love to say that they are great at multitasking. They are full of it. The brain isn’t designed for that. You can jump between projects when you are at a standstill, but even then, shift your thinking and focus on what is in front of you. This is why meditation is important, because it helps you build that focusing muscle. Also, have a space that will not be interrupted with other things. 

MAKE IT ALL FUN

Bring your creativity back. At the end of the day, It should all be fun. Why not? Sometimes, you won’t be able to work on art, and that is ok if you are used to giving yourself that creative time. This weekend we have a lot on our plate. I will be doing my first book fair at the Oil City Library from 10-2PM, then heading to Graffiti Gallery and sitting our show from 2-6PM. This is followed by a friend’s birthday party. Meanwhile, we have a million things that we are juggling at home. It is easy to forget that it is all delicious if you feel like a martyr. When you take control and give yourself time for what you want, you remember that you have a choice. It’s easy to use excuses for why you “HAVE” to do something, but at the end of the day, it is our choice. You will feel better making time for other people and stuff if you make time for yourself when you want it.

TELL SOME PEOPLE TO BACK OFF

People can get really used to you being the one who takes care of everything. Humans are habitual creatures and whenever something happens often, it is easy for it to become the norm. I’ve even experienced people feeling entitled and getting mad at me because I didn’t want to hang out due to my art. Either put people like that in their place or get rid of them.

I’m going to say something very grim sounding but it was important for me to hear when I was killing myself with overwhelm.

“The world will keep going if YOU are not around cleaning up messes and juggling a million things. The people who rely on you would figure it out one way or another.”

If you are stretching yourself too thin, it might be time to reevaluate. This might require you to tell someone you are no longer going to do something for them. It’s hard, but you have to take care of you before you take care of someone else’s needs, or else you are useless to them and yourself. 

So, take care of yourself.

Many people assume that I am what you call an “extrovert” and that everything I do in public comes easily. They may think this because they watch me rambling in videos or go out in town wearing a sandwich board to promote our exhibition. The truth is, I am painfully shy and would rather crawl under a heavy rock than put myself out there. That said, I’ve gotten better at managing my anxiety about publicly engaging in embarrassment over the years. 

Klee has a saying, “The remedy for fear of doing the thing is to do the thing until you’re not afraid anymore.” 

Obviously, it’s not easy. Your mind can quickly spiral downward into worst-case scenarios, and your body will betray you in ways that can be embarrassing. Trust me. Gas bubbles are no joke. However, the choice is simple for me. Either you face the fear, or you run away from it. 

Today, I will face an irrational fear I have carried with me for years. Singing on stage is one of those things I have always wanted to do but could not bring myself to do it. Sure, I have played guitar in front of a group of people a few times and have even had my knees give out from anxiety, but singing is a whole other ball of wax. 

So, how do you face fear when it can be paralyzing? I don’t know, but I can tell you what I do.

Shift Your Focus. Whenever I am doing something that scares me, I try not to allow myself to overthink myself and my fear. That’s where your mind will go into fight or flight. I think about why I’m doing it or the combination of why. For example, with music, I want to challenge myself to do the thing so I can prove to myself I can. It doesn’t matter if I screw it up. What matters is that I did it. The other thing I focus on is bringing something of value and not running away from who I am.

Understand That Things Might Go Wrong. Back in the day, before I even attempted to do anything that was in public, I would ruminate on it going wrong. Our mind tends to want to protect us from embarrassing moments, so it will bombard you with things that will dissuade you from doing something that scares you. The truth is, things might go wrong. So what? Those moments, you either roll with it and laugh or fall apart. Tonight, I know I will screw up a few times, and how I deal with it is what matters.

Know That Self Doubt Is The Challenge. We all have insecurities. Honestly, things changed for me when I stopped focusing on what people thought about me and more on what I thought about myself. The truth is, no one cares if you screw up. We tend to worry that people will hate what we do or call us names, but ultimately it is YOU thinking the thoughts. When I play music tonight, I know the people are there to support me. If anyone is a hater, that says more about them than me, and they can eat a bag. 

It’s A Muscle Thing. Many of us will have a physical reaction to stress. Your body may get jittery, and you may experience shortness of breath. Fight or flight does exciting things to us, but it is only a physical response. It’s not reality. I know my body will freak out tonight, and that’s ok. Deep breathing, relaxation exercises, and a quick meditation may not make it go away, but at least I’ll have something else to focus on. 

Just Have Fun. Most importantly, I must constantly remind myself that the experience will be whatever I say it is. No matter how it goes tonight, I can walk away from this feeling empowered and better for it, or the opposite. It’s up to me.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what your experience will be, not your fear.

As for now, I am preparing my equipment and getting ready for our concert tonight. If you happen to be in Oil City and want to watch me screw up on stage, you are welcome to come to Graffiti Gallery on 8-12-2022 for our concert at 5 PM EDT. We will be there talking about our art from 3 PM – 7 PM.  Luckily for me, Klee shares the stage with me and she is AWESOME!

There will be delicious EMPANADAS prepared by our beautiful and talented friend Nessacraft (who you can follow because she is incredible). What are empanadas, you ask? Empanadas are a Puerto Rican pastry turnover filled with savory ingredients that are either baked or fried and DELICIOUS! This is the awesome human who is making them. 

I’ll also do a book reading the next day at 4 PM (we’ll be at the gallery from 12 PM – 6 PM). Surprisingly, I’m not scared of that at all. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Life is an exciting roller coaster for creative people trying to make a living with their creativity. The truth is, it is not an easy road. No matter how long you manage to make it work, you will run into a few hiccups here and there. With the internet today, there is a lot of advice for artists, some good, some bad, and some that are just complete bullcrap. Klee and I have a YouTube channel, a podcast, resources, we put art shows together, and published books meant to help those creative souls. Still, none of that is going to make the journey easy. In fact, our road isn’t all unicorn farts and rainbows.

The fact of the matter is that life is an ever-evolving and complicated thing. We recently moved, had to do repairs, and are currently in a rat race to get caught up both emotionally and financially. It is easy to feel like everything is not going how you want it to go, especially when you are waiting for a check to come in the mail and it never shows up. However, life is also wonderful, but even the most seasoned artists can make things complicated. We all know how to move forward without allowing stress to take over. The problem is that knowing is not doing.

Even though we all know what is truly best for us, we don’t always follow that path. It will eventually come back and bite you in the butt. My recent experience with burnout is a great example. Instead of enjoying the ride and making the most of it, I was allowing my days to get consumed by worry. This caused a downward spiral that I don’t wish on anyone. 

Let’s be honest, worry doesn’t accomplish anything. It hinders your ability to move forward. In my case, it zapped my creativity, caused me to make poor choices, and didn’t allow me to see blaring red flags. This road is difficult enough, and being worried makes it almost impossible to navigate. 

So, what do you do? 

Stop thinking, and start doing. Clear your mind of all the bull and put one foot in front of the other until you get your joy back. Focus on what you appreciate and not what is going wrong. I know, it sounds like some crap that some self-help guru might be trying to pawn off on you, but it is true. You are either paralyzed by worry or striding forward and not giving a rip. 

Here are mantras I take action on when I find myself in a creative slump or a downward spiral.

My priorities are mine, and I’m not in charge of anybody else’s priorities.

Just get up and do it, whatever “IT” is.

Take 10 minutes daily to clear your mind and focus on what is going right.

Slow down. Enjoy your food and focus on every single bite.

Surround yourself with people who inspire you.

Everything is possible. Spend at least ten minutes focused on that.

Don’t spend your time “repairing” relationships blindly. Evaluate and move on if you have to.

Get boots on the ground, and stop thinking and planning.

Put yourself out there and enjoy the process.

Create art, practice, experiment, and make a mess.

Don’t wallow on what went wrong. Look for the lesson and move on.

Agree to disagree and move on. Stop trying to win the argument.

Enjoy the moment, every moment. Life is happening right now.

Share moments with people you love.

Take five minutes to stop and breathe deeply throughout the day.

Define your own success and screw what anyone else thinks.

Live for the moments, not what you own.

Love the badass that looks back at you in the mirror.

Take ownership of your life, it’s not up to anyone else what you do.

Don’t get desperate, and do not make choices while feeling desperate.

Practice listening to your gut. 

Look at your life like it is your most significant art in progress.

Sure, the journey might be arduous, but you can make it whatever you want it to be. What’s holding you back from making it fun? Are you waiting for other people to take you seriously? Are you waiting for someone to do it for you? Only you are responsible for your life. Only you can make the choice to keep talking or start doing it. Live your life the way you want to live. 

If you do nothing, nothing happens.

It will not happen overnight, and if you have a habit of stressing out all the time, you will try and sabotage yourself to return to that status quo. However, only you can take yourself out of that pattern and embrace the awesomeness that is you.

Don’t wait around. Don’t hope that someone saves you. Just pick yourself up and do it. Getting yourself past self-sabotage is the hard part. This is the struggle. It is not what you might have blamed in the past. It’s not the things that went wrong, or the people who made things harder. It is you who needs to take responsibility for your life and how you want to live. 

Success isn’t about fame, fortune, subscribers, likes, or anything outside of you. It’s about being who YOU want to be. Living the life YOU want to live, and feeling how YOU want to feel.

So go out and live it.

In this Podcast, Klee and I will discuss different ways that we have promoted any time we are showing our art. Whether it is an open studio, gallery show, or Yard and Art sale, we always go all in. Find out more about us at https://rafiandklee.com/

LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODES

Being An Artist During The Holidays – ARTIST PODCAST (With Rafi And Klee)

In this podcast, Klee and I (Rafi) discuss (among other topics) the unique reality of being artists during the holidays. We dive into the main mindset shifts, challenges, and realities that come with navigating busy seasonal demands, balancing family time with studio time, and managing expectations during this time of year. Bottom line? Taking care of your well-being and staying grounded is just as important as keeping up with the holiday hustle. Episode Title: Artists During The Holidays If this resonated with you, hit that Like button, Subscribe, and let us know your thoughts in the comments! WHO ARE RAFI AND KLEE STUDIOS Curious about who we are? Visit our website and get to know us and all we do. https://rafiandklee.com/ WANT TO JOIN US IN THE CHAT FOR THE LIVE PODCAST ON PATREON?https://rafiandklee.com/patreon/ Thank you for supporting the Artist Life Podcast with Rafi and Klee! You rock!

1. Being An Artist During The Holidays 57:27
2. How Do We Feel About Seasonal Art – Artist Podcast 55:01
3. Art For Artsake – Artist Podcast 49:30
4. Start Betting On Yourself As An Artist – Artist Podcast 52:13
5. The Joy Of Creating Unmarketable Art – Artist Podcast 55:41
6. Navigating The Valley Of Suck – Artist Podcast 58:57
7. Keeping Your Art Career Fun – Artist Podcast 01:04:04
8. Reconnecting With Your Creative Spark – Artist Podcast 56:19
9. The Permission Slip You Don’t Need – Artist Podcast 57:09
10. Expectations Vs Reality – Artist Podcast 55:07

LISTEN TO US ON YOUR PREFERRED PODCAST PLATFORM

In this podcast, Klee and I discuss the superpower of being adaptable as you pursue your art career. Learn more about us at https://rafiandklee.com/

LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODES

Being An Artist During The Holidays – ARTIST PODCAST (With Rafi And Klee)

In this podcast, Klee and I (Rafi) discuss (among other topics) the unique reality of being artists during the holidays. We dive into the main mindset shifts, challenges, and realities that come with navigating busy seasonal demands, balancing family time with studio time, and managing expectations during this time of year. Bottom line? Taking care of your well-being and staying grounded is just as important as keeping up with the holiday hustle. Episode Title: Artists During The Holidays If this resonated with you, hit that Like button, Subscribe, and let us know your thoughts in the comments! WHO ARE RAFI AND KLEE STUDIOS Curious about who we are? Visit our website and get to know us and all we do. https://rafiandklee.com/ WANT TO JOIN US IN THE CHAT FOR THE LIVE PODCAST ON PATREON?https://rafiandklee.com/patreon/ Thank you for supporting the Artist Life Podcast with Rafi and Klee! You rock!

1. Being An Artist During The Holidays 57:27
2. How Do We Feel About Seasonal Art – Artist Podcast 55:01
3. Art For Artsake – Artist Podcast 49:30
4. Start Betting On Yourself As An Artist – Artist Podcast 52:13
5. The Joy Of Creating Unmarketable Art – Artist Podcast 55:41
6. Navigating The Valley Of Suck – Artist Podcast 58:57
7. Keeping Your Art Career Fun – Artist Podcast 01:04:04
8. Reconnecting With Your Creative Spark – Artist Podcast 56:19
9. The Permission Slip You Don’t Need – Artist Podcast 57:09
10. Expectations Vs Reality – Artist Podcast 55:07

LISTEN TO US ON YOUR PREFERRED PODCAST PLATFORM

In this Podcast, Klee and I discuss the idea of creating your own space when selling your art. You as the artist are powerful and create your own domain that people enter into. Find out more about Rafi and Klee at https://rafiandklee.com/

LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODES

Being An Artist During The Holidays – ARTIST PODCAST (With Rafi And Klee)

In this podcast, Klee and I (Rafi) discuss (among other topics) the unique reality of being artists during the holidays. We dive into the main mindset shifts, challenges, and realities that come with navigating busy seasonal demands, balancing family time with studio time, and managing expectations during this time of year. Bottom line? Taking care of your well-being and staying grounded is just as important as keeping up with the holiday hustle. Episode Title: Artists During The Holidays If this resonated with you, hit that Like button, Subscribe, and let us know your thoughts in the comments! WHO ARE RAFI AND KLEE STUDIOS Curious about who we are? Visit our website and get to know us and all we do. https://rafiandklee.com/ WANT TO JOIN US IN THE CHAT FOR THE LIVE PODCAST ON PATREON?https://rafiandklee.com/patreon/ Thank you for supporting the Artist Life Podcast with Rafi and Klee! You rock!

1. Being An Artist During The Holidays 57:27
2. How Do We Feel About Seasonal Art – Artist Podcast 55:01
3. Art For Artsake – Artist Podcast 49:30
4. Start Betting On Yourself As An Artist – Artist Podcast 52:13
5. The Joy Of Creating Unmarketable Art – Artist Podcast 55:41
6. Navigating The Valley Of Suck – Artist Podcast 58:57
7. Keeping Your Art Career Fun – Artist Podcast 01:04:04
8. Reconnecting With Your Creative Spark – Artist Podcast 56:19
9. The Permission Slip You Don’t Need – Artist Podcast 57:09
10. Expectations Vs Reality – Artist Podcast 55:07

LISTEN TO US ON YOUR PREFERRED PODCAST PLATFORM

I’m here to tell you that you are not crazy for wanting more. You are not selfish, and you are not delusional for aiming your sights on your dreams.

We grow up in a world of compromises. We learn that in order to “survive” we have to compromise who we are and what we really want in life. We are told to put our childish dreams aside and aim for something that is more realistic. Something that we can ACTUALLY achieve or what someone else thinks we deserve.

So we compromise. We grow up. We become adults. We get our head out of the clouds and settle for what we can have. But you were made for more. A life that is true to you. You were not meant for people pleasing, following orders, or placating. You were meant to express yourself fully and embrace who you are.

​You were meant to love, laugh, and tell it how it is. You are meant to break the façade of being normal. We pretend to be adults. We learn what it means to adult in the world. Yet, some of us remain unadulterated. We remain raw, pure, and undiluted to the best of our abilities. Some of us get rid of the rhetoric of what we are “supposed” to be or do and filter out the noise. We all can do it. It’s not luck, it’s not a special skill, and it’s not magical thinking. It is simply a matter of paying attention.

If you wake up wondering what you’ve been doing with your life or feeling like it’s too late, then you might be buying into the illusion of being ordinary.

Just remember, you were made to be extraordinary.

This is something I have to remind myself of often. Many times your own mind, friends, family, work or the world at large will give you ultimatums on how you are supposed to behave and act. They will say, “a good friend, employee, son, daughter will – fill in the blank.” This most likely happens on the heels of you doing something they disagree with. This is how the rhetoric get’s going. You compromise because that’s what you are supposed to do. Sure, we can make agreements and compromises if we want to, but NEVER compromise who you are. Never compromise your dreams.

The truth is, it’s all just crap, butt hurt, bent feelings, differing perspectives, and a false sense of control. We are all in the thick of the noise, but we can all rise above it. You can rise above it. You can believe in you. You can remember that you are extraordinary and leave the adulting to the ordinary folks out there.

Just some food for thought.

Also, we now have a PO BOX! I know some of you have been asking So here it is!

Rafi And Klee
PO Box 1573
Oil City, PA 16301