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On the Topic of Success (and How it Applies to all of Us)
9 years ago
So last night I posted a long-winded message to a support group I'm a part of on FB, in which we can gather and talk about things that are bothering us and how we can help one another. I talked about success and how we measure it in ourselves; trying to encourage others to pursue what they love even if it isn't terribly lucrative or they haven't gotten noticed much for what they do. The feedback I got was positive, so I want to apply that message here as well and paraphrase it to better appeal to my audience here. These are just my personal thoughts and I realize they may not appeal to everyone, but...
I wanted to talk about a principle that's in everyone's lives whether it's consciously or subconsciously: success.
What is success and how do you measure your personal success? What do you stake your life's worth on, and how does that affect you every day you life?
For years, I've asked myself these questions and have come up with one thing that I just value in myself as a whole: my art. Literally every cell in my body has screamed this for almost ten years since I decided to pursue art as a profession. I make money with my art, though not nearly enough to sustain a life on my own (or with anyone else, really). Yet I hold on so tightly to these slivers of hope whenever I receive a commission, whenever someone tells me how much they like my art, whenever I tell someone else how prominent art is in my life.. It makes me feel alive just as much as the next breath I take.
There is nothing else in the world I want for myself more than to be an artist.
I get so much praise from friends and family, and the few close fans I have in the art community. This means a lot to me.. But there's still so much doubt. I always remember each day how little people actually know about me; how few followers I have and how few commissions I get compared to other artists. I try hard to not compare myself to others, but it's difficult not to. It can be really tough when you want something so much, just as much as others if not more so, and it constantly feels so far out of reach.
I remind myself though, that there is a silver lining: that I am better than who I was last year, last month, yesterday, and that I'm always visibly improving.
Sometimes success isn't measured by the potential that others see in you, but how much you actually appreciate in yourself. Instead of asking, "Do other people care?" Or, "Do other people see me?" You should ask, "Do I truly care about this? Do I feel in my heart that this is worth it?"
If you have the willpower and focus to work hard at something that you believe in, then it is worth it. No amount of praise will ever make your efforts worth it unless you believe that what you're doing is worth improving and exerting energy for. It's nice when people tell me that my art is good and that I should continue it, but unless I maintain the will to work for the results I wish to see, it'll never happen.
I have to keep telling myself that even if I go unnoticed for the better part of my life, my efforts at least matter to me and to the few who support me. Even if I don't make a lot of money from what I do, if I can afford to do it and it makes me happy, then I will continue.
Happiness can't be sought in the world through money and material objects. These things should only be by-products of the effort it takes you to acquire them. We live in a world where convenience is rapidly trumping effort. The easier things are for us to attain, the less satisfied we become with them. It's convenient to grab a fast food burger, but I think we can all agree that nothing surpasses the tastefulness of a home cooked meal that took time and effort to make. That's the difference. Long-term effort better equates to long-term satisfaction because we are aware that what we attain is an achievement.
This topic has dragged on forever and so much of what I've tried to get across has probably been lost in translation, but I hope this has helped someone who has been doubting themselves. And believe me.. If anyone doubts themselves, it's me. Even now as I type this, I do feel insecure about myself and I am human with flawed ideas and perceptions of my reality. I am a natural introvert, and as such, I spend the majority of my time in my own mind. It is a circus in here and although I sometimes wish it wasn't, I know that if my mind were not this chaotic mess of color, I wouldn't be myself.
So just keep doing what makes you all happy. We can't all be famous, rich, and powerful, but we are at least entitled to pursue the things that bring us personal fulfillment and make our souls sing. If you can't be rich externally, at least strive to be rich in spirit and joy for what you can achieve.