It doesn’t seem like the best idea for me to break down a single book in a bite sized post, so I’ll continue to feed you gems from one of my favorite books. Meditations, after all, is a book that cannot be broken down or distilled into one single post because it has too many profound ideas on how to live your life. It’s also fitting that the icon I carved out for this section is that of Marcus Aurelius himself. I find it absolutely necessary to reinforce positive concepts in my life to remain fearless in a career that has so many unknowns. And in today's world of seemingly endless negativity portrayed by the media, politics, and popular culture, I would hope that more people seek positivity in their lives. So here’s another simple, yet profound thought you can maul over if you so choose. Book Seven, passage Eight of Meditations:

“Do not let the future trouble you. You will come to it (if that is what you must) possessed of the same reason that you apply now to the present.”

These two short sentences are a vital reminder to live in the present moment. Of course it's easier said than done, but there’s no need to become anxious over something that hasn't happened yet, or might not even happen at all. Dwelling on the past is also troublesome. The past is gone and the future isn't here yet, they don’t exist, so spend as little energy as possible on stressors like these. Instead, try to live your life in the best way possible, here and now, for a better tomorrow. I have goals as an artist that are pretty far out there, and I don’t spend any time thinking about why I’m not there yet, or what I might do once I get there. What I do spend my time on is making sure I’m creating the best work I possibly can, ultimately creeping closer and closer towards those goals. I hope you can take this simple concept and work on incorporating it into your everyday life.

I seldom find people who like to drink a nice, classic cocktail. I wonder why that is? I think it might have something to do with the standard American diet and everyone's addiction to sugar. I’ve found that a lot of people are trying to mask the taste of alcohol with sugar, syrups, nectars, and soda. Again - sugar, sugar, sugar. And don’t even get me started on these trendy honey flavored whiskeys. I know I’m a bit of a drink snob, but I think it’s time for men to start drinking like men again. Yep, I said it. Of course, I’m only joking. If you want to keep using training wheels for your drinks, I won’t lose any sleep over it. 

Enter, my favorite cocktail of all time - The Manhattan. While the origin of this drink isn’t totally agreed upon, we’ll just say it originated in the mid-1870’s at the Manhattan Club in New York. Thank you, Wikipedia! A classic Manhattan calls for two parts Rye, one part sweet vermouth, a dash of bitters, and it’s garnished with a maraschino cherry. It should also be served cold, without ice, in a cocktail glass, but it’s not always the case. I’ve found that a ton of bars and restaurants screw up this simple drink, so if you’re not ordering it from a place that knows their shit, make a perfect one at home instead. Trust me, these little things matter. I don’t want some punk college kid disguised as a bartender to turn you off of this beautiful drink. 

A proper Manhattan will be cold, smooth, and just sweet enough to let the characteristics of your chosen rye or whiskey to show through. And if you really want to finish it off the best way, make sure to use a Luxardo cherry. You’ll be radiating with class and sophistication while you enjoy this incredible drink. Click here to watch my 45 second video on the perfect Manhattan! 

You might like this drink if you like: Whiskey, bourbon, rye, Old Fashions, and craft beer

You probably won’t like this if you like: light beer, jager bombs, Mountain Dew, & professional wrestling

Episode #1419 of the Joe Rogan Experience is absolutely amazing. His guest was author, activist, and musician, Daryl Davis. He talks about a book he wrote on The Ku Klux Klan called "Klan-destine Relationships: A Black Man's Odyssey in the Ku Klux Klan.” This amazing man speaks about how he got more than 200 KKK members to desert their cause and leave their group for good. I really don’t want to spoil this podcast in any way, but he converted even the highest ranking members to abandon the Klan simply by getting to know them. He befriended them and made them realize that their beliefs were wrong, not by forcing them, but by demonstrating to them his humanity and intellect. What’s more is he didn’t ask any of them to leave the Klan. They all left on their own after becoming friends with him! Oh, and if you didn’t already figure it out by the title of his book, he’s African-American! This podcast was so good that I couldn't listen to it while I was working, like I usually do, because it was too damn distracting. I had to give it my full, undivided attention. Do yourself a favor and check this one out because we need more people like Mr. Davis in this world.

I finally started carving on my Miles Davis piece a couple days ago! Between the initial concept drawing, having my basswood block built, and transferring the image, I have well over a month invested in this project already. This has already proven to be the most complex carving I’ve ever done. I’m really trying to achieve an image that has depth the same way the portraits on a dollar bill do. I have a very distinct carving style that uses straight lines so this is a nice change of pace for me. I know that I need to continue challenging myself, and this one is testing me for sure. Follow my progress on Instagram @TheRealOldSchoolAlex.

On Being Professional 

I have a lot of experience interacting with people in a business setting, and not just in a small setting, but with large companies. If you don’t believe me, click here. Those of you who do know me and have followed my progression as an artist know that I made a name for myself in the automotive industry by selling my artwork at big car shows all over the country and abroad. All of my sales started out face-to-face by getting myself in front of my target audience. I’ve literally interacted with thousands of customers this way. Along my journey I realized that a lot of artists and vendors lack a sense of professionalism. Call me crazy but I believe you must conduct yourself in the best manner possible, and being a free-spirited artist is no excuse for being late, moody, cheap, and especially disrespectful. Take it from someone who knows - No one will take you seriously if you’re not professional, especially not other professionals who are looking to hire you for a big paying job!

Let's start from the beginning. You’re a new artist looking to make a living off of your art, so you decide to set up at an art show. What will your presentation look like? You do know that 99.9% of shows don’t provide a damn thing to you, right? Not even a chair to sit on. You pay them for a space to sell your art and that’s it! If this is something you seriously want to pursue and make a living at, it would behoove you to invest time and money into your business. If a potential customer is walking around a show and he/she sees your booth which consists of drawings pinned on a piece of plywood, an old ass table with business cards that you clearly cut out with a pair of scissors, and you wearing flip flops with shorts and a stained t-shirt, then there's a decent chance they won't be wasting their time by walking into your afterthought of a booth.

Now picture the seasoned artist who sets up next to you. This guy looks sharp. He’s got a professional-looking booth that makes you think you’re in a gallery. He has lights to illuminate his beautifully framed artwork. He has a nice sign with his professional logo on it. The only thing he’s missing is someone handing out the champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Oh, and his business cards . . . Oh baby! Have you ever seen American Psycho with Christian Bale? There's an amazing scene in the movie where he’s showing off his new business cards to the other guys in the office because he’s so proud of them. He goes on to be one-upped by everyone else’s business cards and he obsesses over his failure in the business card department. Click here to watch the scene! Treat your whole business the way Christian Bale obsesses over his cards in this scene. Anyway, back to the imaginary artist. This artist has it all figured out, and all the other artists are glad they didn't have to set up next to him for fear of looking as sorry as you do next to him. Always strive to make a positive impression to all who see your work. Some people may look past your lack of preparation, and others won’t give you the time of day because of it. You decide whether or not you want to lose those potential customers.

Now look, I understand that all these things cost a lot of money, and I also know that this isn't something you have to do. But you have to view things in the eyes of the consumer. If I’m a businessman who’s looking for a great piece of art for my office or my board room, I’m going to want to find a professional and respected artist to deliver this need. You want to give yourself every possible chance for success. “But Alex, what if I’m doing a really low-brow show and everyone has a very basic setup?” I say that doesn’t matter one bit. Let everyone else slack off while you set up your nice, professional booth. Be an example to others. If this is something you really want to make a business out of, you have to find ways to work up to this. Spend a little less money on weed and booze, and start saving money for that booth!

Let's also talk about your “virtual art booth”, otherwise known as your online presence and social media. You need to start thinking about this in the same way. Let’s start with the no brainer, your website. This will basically be used as an online portfolio, so make sure it looks sharp, and it's easy to navigate. The people you meet will look you up online, and you don't want to turn them off by having a cluttered, hack job of a website. Make sure it stays current and make sure it's something you can show off and be proud of. You don't know how many artists that have told me - “I really need to work on my website.” Yes, you do! Don't put it off! You should know that people live on the internet these days, and people can visit your site at any moment. If your house was like the internet and people could come and go as they please, would you have your dirty underwear hanging off of your couch, where your guests take a seat? No. You would maintain it and keep it nice and organized. Think about it.

Here’s the one thing that a lot of aspiring artists screw up - Social media. Keep your shared content relevant to your business, especially on picture based platforms like Instagram. What do I mean by this? Keep pictures and thoughts of your dog, your kids, your dinner, politics, selfies, internet memes, or anything else that doesn't have anything to do with your business OFF of social media! Who the hell do you think you are, Dwayne Johnson. . . ? Kim Kardashian. . . ? No! No one cares about your personal life. At least not yet they don't. Once you gain a following and people want to know more about your personal life, then it would be appropriate to start sprinkling in pictures of your mom, kids, or whatever the hell keeps you going. But I would still keep it to a minimum. If you feel that the world absolutely needs to see your cat chasing a laser pointer, I would highly recommend that you create a separate personal account. You may not think this is an important concept, but you want to show the world how dedicated you are to your craft. Would you want a potential client looking at your account, which is littered with a ton of junk that isn’t even related to your art? I know I wouldn’t, and I know artists with huge followings keep most of their content relevant to their medium. I hope this is making sense.

You should also know that there’s a lot more to professionalism than your appearance. One of the things that drives me crazy about artists, especially full time artists, is that they fall into some of the negative stereotypes (whether they notice it or not) of being an artist, and they will use these stereotypes as excuses. Let me explain. Artists work when inspiration strikes, they are on their own time, they don't have a schedule. These are just a few of the sayings that people use to excuse their lack of work ethic and professionalism. Do you know how many artists I’ve made meetings with and they were running very late, or didn’t even show up at all? I would say this happens 80% of the time. Just because you’re a free spirited artist doesn’t give you the right to treat others like they’re on your time. Be on time, or better yet, show up early! Don’t ever give anyone a reason not to like you. Be courteous, always! 

In the interest of keeping this somewhat brief and consumable, the last thing I’ll talk about is work ethic. I was talking to my good friend Jim Owens (incredible oil painter) about this last week. Professionals in any area of work put a ton of time into what they do. Think of Elon Musk. He has so many different things he’s building and his tremendous work ethic is clearly evident. If you want to make something of yourself you have to have an iron will and you have to strive to outperform everyone! So let my friend Jim lay down some knowledge for you, “If you don't have a work ethic you better go downtown and buy yourself one.” If you want to be a full time artist, you better realize that it’s far from easy. In fact, it’s not even something I would want for my kids, unless I see that drive in them. Everyone knows the saying, “If it was easy everyone would do it.” I’ve been waking up between 4:00 and 5:00 am for years now, and it's not because I’m a morning person. It’s because while you’re busy sleeping, I’m busy getting after it and working relentlessly to achieve big things. I usually work 12 hours a day and luckily I love what I do, so I’m more than happy to put the time in. I also have a wife, kids, and friends, so it’s important to me to dedicate time and undivided attention to them. If I started work late everyday, I wouldn’t get enough done during the day and my attention wouldn’t fully be dedicated to the things that are truly important in my life.

To close this one out I want you to think about a concept that has always driven me to take risks and do big things. Adam Carolla says something like, “You should be in make a buck mode, not save a nickel mode.” I know you have to take risks and invest money into your business to be professional, so start thinking of it like you’re placing a bet on yourself. Put that money down for that expensive booth fee, for your booth, for those sweet, crisp business cards. The bet you’re making is whether you’re going to succeed or not, one step at a time. The good thing for you is you can continue to adjust your approach until you do find success. It's okay to lose a little money, and be prepared for it because you will. The important thing to remember is to be persistent. Keep fighting to succeed if this is something you really want, and don’t allow yourself to fail. Failure only comes if you quit. There will be things that happen to you that seem like failures, but they really aren’t. Those things are actually learning opportunities. Learn from your mistakes. Take a chance. Place a bet on yourself, and don’t stop until you win that bet.