6 Mindset Shifts Every Watercolor Artist Needs

As a founder, I've spent years wrestling with both the practical stuff and the head games around money. One of the biggest things I see tripping up artists and new entrepreneurs? Our complicated relationship with money. After listening to Leila Hormozi's insights on money psychology, I couldn't stop thinking about how this applies to us. Here's how to break free from the limiting beliefs keeping your art smaller than it deserves to be.

1. Discover Your "Art Script"
Hormozi describes how our financial beliefs get programmed in childhood, shaping every decision. This childhood programming includes your choice to pursue art, how you price your work, how you invest in supplies. Think about the scripts you absorbed growing up: "Art is a dead-end career," "Artists starve," "No one pays for watercolor." These scripts sabotage you before you pick up a brush.

Reflect on your earliest money memories around art. Did your family discourage "frivolous" pursuits? Did teachers undervalue creativity versus academic achievement? Recognize these scripts so you can rewrite them: "Art is a tool that creates freedom and helps others see beauty." Updating your internal story is the first act of creative rebellion.

2. Recalibrate Your Artistic Financial Identity
Self-concept acts like a thermostat, regulating the "temperature" of your financial comfort zone. If you see yourself as someone who only deserves small commissions or hobby-level recognition, you'll sabotage opportunities for gallery representation, workshops, or high-ticket sales.

Write this down: "I am the kind of artist who…" and finish with your honest belief. Then write the identity you want to grow into: "I am the kind of artist who consistently creates and sells meaningful, high-value art." This small exercise shifts your self-image and changes your results.

Once you've reset your identity, make sure your money moves and artistic decisions align with it.

3. Always Invest in Assets
Artists confuse spending with investing constantly. Hormozi's distinction between assets and liabilities cuts to the heart of this. That expensive watercolor brush or painting set sitting unused on your shelf isn't an investment. It's a liability. Key word: UNUSED. Artists become collectors of supplies. The purchase feels like progress, like momentum in your art journey. But if those supplies aren't actively used to create work you can share, sell, build your portfolio, or develop your skills, continually adding to your supplies just drains your resources.

Real investment means putting money toward things that multiply your capacity: a skill-building course teaching techniques you'll use repeatedly, a mentor opening industry connections, or supplies you'll actually put to work. The difference isn't what you buy: it's whether you use it to grow your artistry and business.

The solution? USE THEM. When you buy new supplies, ask yourself: "Will I actually use this to create value, or am I just buying the feeling of progress?" Spend intentionally, focusing on assets that expand your art, your skills, or your income.

4. Shift from Scarcity to Abundance
Beyond supply hoarding, there's the scarcity mindset. You might hear yourself thinking: "There are too many talented watercolorists," "Art buyers are scarce," "I must hoard every penny for supplies." Scarcity shrinks your creative bandwidth and leads to fear-driven decisions that block opportunities.

Cultivate abundance instead. Recognize that inspiration and opportunities are limitless. This includes money. There's room for your unique style in the market. Invest in your art, your skills, and your community. The more you give (share techniques, teach, collaborate), the more you receive in growth and reputation.

5. Reframe Losses as Tuition, Never as Failures
Hormozi's point hit hard: losses are tuition, not punishment. That botched commission or failed workshop? It's tuition for your artistic education. Instead of dwelling on money and time lost, appreciate the lesson. Each setback carries wisdom: painting methods, marketing, client relations that can exponentially increase future earnings and success.

This mind shift is crucial. Winners fail a thousand times more than those who quit. The difference is that winning is about continuing. You'll get better and move forward. It's inevitable. It's about how fast you get back up and get back into it.

6. Value Your Time as Much as Your Art
Don't get trapped doing everything yourself to save money. Your most precious asset is time: time to create, innovate, and connect with collectors. Hire teachers, mentors, and help for admin tasks.  Outsource framing. Automate your shop and business. The wealthiest creators buy their time back so they can focus on work that yields the highest creative inspiration, freedom, and financial returns.
Choose Your Shift.

From dismantling negative mental scripts to valuing your time, pick one mindset shift and commit to practicing it this week. These aren't just money strategies. They're creative liberation. Your art, your finances, and your future self will thank you.

Keep creating your unique magic,
Zarah McIntosh
Founder, Watercolor Wizardry