As a business mentor, I often emphasise the importance of striving for excellence. Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to interview Graham Short, a micro-engraving artist whose work epitomises this principle. Graham Short, artist extraordinaire, has made headlines for his astounding achievements, including engraving the entire Lord’s Prayer on a pinhead and creating £5 notes worth £50,000 due to his unique engravings. Today, I’m thrilled to share insights from our conversation that can inspire entrepreneurs and business owners alike.
Watch the full episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/sbERkH1Qjls
Listen to the full episode on podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/many-hats-of-business/episodes/012-Graham-Short-Artist-Excellence-is-a-Habit-e2mhbag
Podcast Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Meet Graham Short
03:06 Early Career and Mentorship
05:43 Breakthrough in Business
13:27 Swimming and Discipline
17:11 Engraving Process
27:42 Notable Works and Clients
40:48 Final Thoughts and Advice
The Journey of Graham Short: Artist and Master Engraver
Graham’s journey into the world of micro-engraving began unexpectedly. Leaving school at 15 with no qualifications, he started working at a local print works in Birmingham. His initial tasks were far from glamorous – emptying mousetraps and making tea. However, it was here that he learned the art of copper plate hand engraving for wedding invitations.
This humble beginning laid the foundation for Graham Short, artist of the impossibly small. His career trajectory serves as a powerful reminder that success often stems from unexpected places. For entrepreneurs, this underscores the importance of embracing every opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of how menial it may seem at first.
The Power of Persistence and Luck
Graham’s breakthrough came when he visited Savile Row in London with samples of his stationery work. Through a stroke of luck and his own initiative, he met Charles Benson, the chairman of a prestigious company. This encounter led to numerous high-profile clients, including Liberty, Fortnum & Mason, and Harrods.
Graham emphasises the role of luck in business success, but it’s crucial to note that he created his own luck by taking initiative and seizing opportunities. For business owners, this serves as a reminder to be proactive and open to unexpected opportunities.
Excellence as a Habit: The Graham Short Artist Method
What sets Graham Short, artist of the microscopic, apart is his unwavering commitment to excellence. His work involves engraving on incredibly small surfaces, often requiring months of painstaking effort. Here are some key aspects of his approach:
- Extreme Focus: Graham works from midnight to 5 am to avoid vibrations from passing traffic.
- Physical Preparation: He uses beta-blockers to lower his heart rate and even gets Botox injections in his eyelids to reduce distractions.
- Continuous Improvement: Despite his expertise, Graham constantly seeks ways to refine his technique.
- Embracing Challenges: He takes on seemingly impossible tasks, like engraving on the sharp edge of a razor blade.
For business owners, these principles can be adapted to cultivate a habit of excellence in your own work:
- Create an optimal work environment that allows for deep focus.
- Take care of your physical and mental health to perform at your best.
- Never stop learning and improving your skills.
- Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.
The Importance of Passion and Obsession
Graham describes his work not as a hobby or a job, but as an obsession. This level of passion drives him to push boundaries and achieve the seemingly impossible. As a Graham Short artist piece can take up to three months to complete, this passion is crucial for maintaining motivation.
For entrepreneurs, finding this level of passion in your work can be a game-changer. It fuels persistence through challenges and drives continuous improvement. While not everyone may feel obsessed with their work, cultivating a deep interest and commitment to your field can significantly impact your success.
Balancing Perfectionism and Progress
Interestingly, Graham’s pursuit of perfection in his art contrasts with the need for adaptability in business. While his work demands absolute precision, he also shares stories of pivoting when things don’t go as planned. For instance, when a project with Stephen Fry required a different approach than initially planned, Graham adapted quickly.
This balance between striving for excellence and being flexible is crucial for business owners. Aim for high standards, but be prepared to adjust your approach when necessary.
The Value of Diversification
Despite his focus on micro-engraving, Graham has explored other areas, including acting and scriptwriting. While these ventures weren’t always successful, they demonstrate the value of diverse experiences. For business owners, this serves as a reminder to explore different aspects of your industry or even unrelated fields. These experiences can provide fresh perspectives and potentially open new opportunities.
Building Relationships and Networking
Throughout our conversation, Graham shared anecdotes about the interesting people he’s met through his work, from celebrities like Ronnie Barker to Uri Geller. These connections often led to new opportunities or insights.
For entrepreneurs, this highlights the importance of networking and building relationships. You never know where a connection might lead or what you might learn from someone in a completely different field.
The Graham Short Artist Approach to Pricing and Collaboration
One of the most valuable pieces of advice Graham shared was about pricing and collaboration. He emphasised the importance of ensuring everyone in the value chain can make a living. This approach has helped him maintain long-term relationships with galleries and collaborators.
For business owners, this is a crucial lesson. While it’s important to value your work appropriately, considering the needs of your partners and collaborators can lead to more sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships.
Embracing Failure as Part of the Process
Graham openly shared stories of his failures, from rejected scripts to unsuccessful exhibitions. However, these setbacks never deterred him. Instead, they became part of his learning process.
This resilience is crucial for entrepreneurs. Failure is an inevitable part of the business journey, but it’s how you respond to these setbacks that defines your success. Embrace failures as learning opportunities and use them to fuel your growth. Failure is something that many of us in business fear. Graham says there has only been ONE job in his entire career as a micro engraver that he hasn’t messed up and had to restart at some point. Hardly surprising when you consider the seemingly impossible challenges he sets himself.
The Importance of Health and Fitness
A surprising aspect of Graham’s success is his dedication to swimming. As a former European champion swimmer, he maintains a rigorous swimming routine even at 78 years old. This commitment to fitness directly contributes to his work, providing him with the stamina and steady hand required for his intricate engravings.
For business owners, this serves as a powerful reminder of the connection between physical health and professional performance. Regular exercise and maintaining good health can significantly impact your focus, energy levels, and overall productivity.
Lessons from Graham Short: Artist and Entrepreneur
While Graham’s work is unique, many of his principles can be applied to any business:
- Strive for Excellence: Make excellence a habit in everything you do.
- Create Your Own Luck: Be proactive and seize opportunities when they arise.
- Find Your Passion: Cultivate a deep interest in your work to fuel long-term motivation.
- Embrace Challenges: View difficult tasks as opportunities to grow and improve.
- Build Relationships: Network and connect with people from various fields.
- Price Fairly: Ensure your pricing structure benefits everyone in the value chain.
- Learn from Failures: View setbacks as learning experiences rather than defeats.
- Prioritise Health: Recognise the connection between physical health and professional performance.
Conclusion: The Graham Short Artist Mindset for Business Success
Graham Short, artist of the microscopic, offers a unique perspective on excellence and perseverance in business. His journey from a young apprentice to a world-renowned micro-engraver is a testament to the power of dedication, continuous improvement, and unwavering passion.
For entrepreneurs and business owners, the key takeaway is clear: excellence is not a destination, but a habit. It’s about consistently pushing your boundaries, embracing challenges, and never settling for ‘good enough’. Whether you’re crafting intricate engravings or building a business empire, the principles remain the same.
Remember, success rarely comes overnight. Like Graham’s meticulous engravings, building a successful business takes time, patience, and an unwavering commitment to quality. But with persistence and the right mindset, you too can create something truly remarkable.
As you continue on your business journey, ask yourself: How can I incorporate the Graham Short artist mindset into my work? How can I make excellence a habit in my daily routines? By adopting even a fraction of Graham’s dedication and passion, you can elevate your business to new heights.
In the words of Aristotle, which seem particularly fitting for Graham Short, artist extraordinaire: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Let’s make excellence our habit in business and in life.
Thank you Graham
All that remains is to say a huge thank you to Graham Short for his time and such an interesting conversation. I have been a fan of his for many years after I first heard about his micro engraving on a pin head when I first started my engraving journey. Totally different fields of engraving as I point out in the recording. As a finishing note to everyone who listens to this episode I want to remind you to go for your goals. However crazy they may seem. I’ve always known Graham would be an amazing person to speak to and I’m so glad I followed my gut and reached out to him. We live in a world where it is easier than it has ever been to reach out to those who we admire. Who do you want to reach out to?
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy some of the other episodes – Podcast Episodes – Many Hats of Business
Some examples of Graham Short Artists amazing creations
