How to know your Mission, Values and Life Purpose
What is my mission? How do I know my life purpose? How do I define my values?
Are mission, life purpose and values the same thing?
Big questions!
Artists, you came here to be a channel for the creative spirit. We each have a unique expression of Divine energy that comes through us and the artist’s hands give form to the spirit’s thoughts.
It’s such a big and beautiful task to be an artist here on Earth. We have so much to offer and yet it can be confusing trying to pay your bills and make your art. How do your define and realize your mission as an artist in today’s world?
Let’s break it down:
Mission
Your mission is your “why.” This is true for artists and for everyone else.
A mission is the positive contribution you want to leave behind when you die.
Your mission supports your values and beliefs.
A mission is the inspiring vision that keeps you going even when you feel stressed and tired.
A mission is a reason for “doing” that is bigger than yourself.
For example, my mission is to help humanity reach a more loving and harmonious state of consciousness, both with each other and with the earth.
I try to fulfill my mission through my art. I also work towards it in my relationships and lifestyle choices.
Creating a personal mission statement for yourself is an empowering way to get clear on your life choices.
Write it out and post it somewhere you will see it every day!
Life Purpose
Your “life purpose” is the actions you take to fulfill your mission.
For example, one aspect of my life purpose is to make art, because that’s how I will best fulfill my mission. Your life purpose is personal to you. In contrast, a mission can be shared by multiple people. Think of a company: each person does different tasks for the company, because they have different life purposes. Yet collectively, all the employees share the same mission.
Artists tend to work solo, but you can still establish a shared mission every time you collaborate. If you work with other artists to make a group exhibition, brainstorm what your group’s mission is for the show. If you are an artist that employs assistants or a team, you can hire people who share your mission. This would be a great interview question for potential employees!
Values
Your values are ideas or things that guide you to stay true to your mission and purpose.
For example: family, health, freedom, love are all examples of values. Sometimes life’s choices can be overwhelming, and knowing your values will help you take aligned action.
A fun exercise for discovering your values is to google a list of “value” words and feel which ones resonate the most. You’ll find that certain values may encompass others. For example, for some people “family” is encompassed by “community.” Make a list of the top 10 values you care about. Then, see if you can narrow it down to 3-5. These tops values are powerful guides for your life. Use them as reference points whenever you feel stuck or unsure.
When you know your mission, purpose and valueS, it’s so much easier to stay aligned in your creative practice.
You’ll find that some artwork you do that feels more congruent with these ideas. This is your “True Work.” Your true work is the art you came here to make, and it is the most valuable part of your business.
It’s important to remember that your mission, purpose and values will change as you grow, and that’s a good thing!
That’s why it’s so popular to journal or do reflections during the new year and birthdays. Regular check-ins with yourself are so important every single year. For some ideas about my favorite reflection exercises, check out the self-reflection exercise in this blog post. We are constantly evolving, and our core beliefs should reflect the ever-changing truth of who we are.
In the Quantum Artist business school we build a career based on your core values and mission. We get grounded in this place before we even think about income streams or online presence. Running a business can be very distracting if you’re not careful!
It’s my goal that every student learn not just how to make money from their art, but how to do so in an aligned, sustainable way.
For more information and registration, click here.
-Gabrielle Abbott