Your Greatest Advantage May Be What You Do Next

I doubt anyone looking at my first 59-cent tray of watercolors would have seen a career in it. I certainly didn’t. I was an amateur, curious about what might happen if I put a little color on paper.

Years later, I had developed a recognizable style, earned awards, and made my living as a watercolorist. It would have been easy to believe I had found my place and should stay there.

Then again, I’ve never been very good at staying in one place.

Recently, I listened to my friend Dr. Nido Qubein talk about a differential advantage—the quality that allows you to bring something distinctive to the world. His words made me think about my own journey. Painting was my gift, but learning to pursue the possibilities around that gift changed my life.

Master the gift in your hands.
Those early years mattered. I painted constantly, learned from the work that succeeded and the work that didn’t, and developed the consistency that gave people confidence in me. Curiosity can open a door, but dedication is what lets you walk through it.

Look beyond the canvas.
Over time, I began to see that a painting could do more than hang on someone’s wall. It could celebrate a place, bring people together, support a cause, or help someone tell a story. The Honor Card grew from that way of thinking. Art gave me a way to invite others into something much larger than my studio.

Stay willing to begin again.
Today I paint traditional landscapes and contemporary work. I’ve moved from watercolor into acrylics and found fresh ways to share the stories behind my paintings, including from a stage. Each change has asked me to be a beginner in some respect. That can be uncomfortable, especially after you’ve spent years becoming good at something. It can also make you eager to get up in the morning.

I have chased more opportunities than I could have imagined when I opened that little tray of paint. Some led nowhere. Others changed the direction of my career. Following them has kept me learning, meeting new people, and wondering what might be waiting just beyond the horizon.

Perhaps your advantage is a talent you’ve spent years developing. Perhaps it is the way you notice a need, connect people, or see a possibility others have overlooked. Whatever it is, give it your best effort—and then ask where else it might take you.

I’m still asking that question. Nearly fifty years after my first watercolor, it remains one of the most exciting parts of being an artist.

What possibility have you been meaning to explore?