Many creatives I know are also involved in arts organizations. Some serve on the board of directors, some on committees, and others volunteer or donate to special events. Today’s post is written by Maureen Carruthers, who works in the nonprofit sector. When I met Maureen, I was immediately impressed by her thoughtful commitment to her work and her dedication to her community. She has some words of wisdom for both artists and arts organizations to help keep up your mental momentum.

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If you spend any amount of time on the internet, you know there is no shortage of advice on how to make your life, business, and art better.

Most of that advice is about all the new things you need to do to keep up. Blog more often, take more classes, create more genuine relationships—more, more, more.

It’s a lot of pressure. So much that it’s easy to believe you will never be good enough, never know enough, never make enough impact. From that place, one starts to wonder if it’s worth trying to move forward at all. All the well meant advice about how to get better, actually stops us in our tracks.

The same thing happens to organizations.

Look forward and engage
Nonprofit work can feel like shoveling sand off the beach. We create new exciting work, we look for unique ways to engage the community, we reduce ticket prices and fees for service, raise more money to serve more people, and yet, at the end of the day, there is so much more to do—the beach looks exactly the same.

But that’s because we always look toward what’s left to do—the parts of our community we have yet to serve.

In order to keep moving forward, sometimes we have to turn around.

Look back at what you’ve accomplished
Instead of only looking at what’s ahead, refocus some attention each day on the work that’s been completed. There will always be more people to help, new audiences to reach, emerging problems to be solved. But the fact that the task is big, doesn’t mean progress is not being made.

Whether you are an artist who spends most of your time in your own studio, an artist working as part of a larger organization, or even a person who doesn’t identify as an artist at all, it’s essential to treasure your success. These celebrations don’t have to be large. Hang your best work in your studio. Post thank you notes where you will see them every day. Pay attention to the complements people pay you–and write them down so you can revisit them during more difficult times.

Celebrate
Making time to celebrate is not indulgent. It’s not a signal that you are done, or an invitation to rest on your laurels. It’s a necessary part of tackling lofty goals. These small moments of celebration create space for renewal—and renewal is what makes it possible to turn our attention back toward the future and to keep shoveling.

About the author
Maureen Carruthers is passionate about helping nonprofits achieve their missions. For advice and inspiration on helping your favorite nonprofit be heard, including how volunteers can help, visit her blog, Low Hanging Fruit.