Listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, gazing at Michelangelo’s Pietá or da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, hearing Leonard Bernstein’s music in a production of West Side Story, or reading the works of William Shakespeare may well leave you in a state of wonder and amazement. How long does it take for artists to create such masterpieces? Each and every day artists wake up to their works of art; they consider where they left things the day before and open themselves to discover yet again another aspect of their expression as an artist. They chip away at their creations, some days making more progress than others. A single work of art may take ten minutes, ten days, or ten years or more. The answer isn’t simple. In truth, each single masterpiece takes a lifetime, and each one that follows builds on experiences of, and after, the one before—an ongoing sequence of extraordinary and powerful creative expressions. 

 

Respect the masterpiece. It is true reverence to man. 
There is no quality so great, none so much needed now. 
~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Great artists are highly motivated to express their visions and share them with others through the medium of their art form. They look past the starkness and chaos of random raw materials, prescribed structures, and artistic elements to bring out something fresh. The potential of what is possible is hidden deeply, and their full commitment to finding and sharing it is a driving force in their efforts. Some of the crucial elements to their success lie in fundamental approaches we can all learn to use in our daily lives.

These six characteristics are shared by artists and guide them to create masterpieces:

• Full dedication to share their vision with the world. We see or hear the remarkable end result—the masterpiece; but very few see the actual struggle that might occur each day—the weariness, the fading energy, or the darkness of dampened spirits that artists experience from time to time as they work with such passion and commitment to communicate what they see and hear. 
• If something isn’t working, they keep at it until it feels right, or they start all over again, remaining open to an unexpected route. They don’t give up or feel they have to control every detail. Passion plays a significant role in their work and continuously fuels their efforts. 
• They are lifelong learners, always open to explore and grow and evolve into something new and better than the day before. 
• Resilience is an essential aspect of their success. They bounce back and know that things don’t always happen overnight and that they owe it to their vision to keep at it until it feels right. 
• Successful artists understand how to seek out other people who are supportive. They limit or eliminate their time and emotional involvement with those who are negative. 
• Creative expression is the essence of their day-to-day lives. 

In our own daily lives, we often make mistakes or experience things that don’t work out the way we expected. As artists of our lives, we can create masterpieces by using aspects of the artistic process. We can focus on solutions rather than regrets and learn continuously from one experience to the next. All of us can learn a great deal from the artistic process and enjoy stunning success as we build our lives. Each day, experience, success, or failure allows us the opportunity to make new connections between ideas or thoughts, to be objective, and to choose motivation and create a masterpiece—something truly special to share with the world.