I have been on something of a hiatus from my own artwork while developing my businesses in polymer photogravure printmaking, web software development and video social media marketing.  I hear about artists taking extended breaks from art to work on life issues and it seems I reached that point some time ago and never realized it.

Whether improving artistic skills or developing a business, the approach is the same.  Set a course with a destination in mind, but see where it leads.  How you get there fundamentally involves what you know, and how well you pay attention.

Printmaking is all about paying attention.

Whether we are focusing it for the pay, personal work, or pleasure, the quality of our attention is our single-most important and unique gift. Our quality of attention reflects our essence, showing what we know, what we value, and who we are.  

Why do some people make $20 per hour and others make $20,000 per hour? One could argue it was the quality of their attention is the only difference. In the real world people command top dollar for who they know as much as what they know in some cases. The power to get and hold people’s attention is the power to do anything, in effect.

In this internet-savvy world of automated processing of communication, having an individual with experience who will listen to you and provide their perspective is becoming more rare. Face-to-face attention still desired over all other forms of communication when the stakes are high. It is the very reason the airline industry is still in business.

What makes it really great is when you are such an expert at what you do and so well-respected that others want to give their best back to you in return all the time.  If attention is the currency, respect is the end-product.

So in that respect, I thank you for your attention!

Jon Lybrook, April 24, 2017.