words of encouragement


This is so true, no matter what it is that you do as creative work.

And it is also true that many people never hear this information... 
they just toil away in silence, hoping and wishing for 'a break' to come. 
Scribbling and drawing, doodling and writing, scratching out sentences and paragraphs.
First drafts become fiftieth drafts... 
and the struggle to reach their lofty visions goes on.

offer us encouragement for the pursuit.




This is how it IS, and how it is SUPPOSED to be. 
Those stories of 'overnight successes' are bunk.
Celebrity can come in an instant - and the instant is often quickly over. 
The phrase 'Fifteen minutes of fame' doesn't lie. 
[Though, admittedly, many celebs outlive that fifteen minutes somehow].

Creativity is a commitment to a pursuit.
You have a dream, a goal, a vision.
You work toward it every day

Maybe you can only squeeze in five minutes a day to be creative.
Great!
Snap a photo. Write a sentence. Sketch a scene. Flesh out an idea.
It builds your skills, your ability, your 'eye', your vision - exponentially.
Much like accrued interest on a savings account, 
this kind of devotion to the practice of a craft, an art, a creative work,
is what compounds daily and increases the value.
You just keep getting better at it the more you do it.

[Have you heard about the principle of Ten Thousand Hours?]

Just keep working.
[paraphrasing Dory the fish from 'Finding Nemo' there...]
Keep writing, or drawing, or snapping photos.
Whatever it is that you create, keep creating it.
And forget the 'published' or 'exhibited' credits...
Even if no one ever sees it, it's building your vision.

It doesn't matter how long it takes.
One day, you will look at your own work
and smile 
and say out loud to yourself,

"Hey, I'm GOOD at this!"
get ready for your moment and cue the paparazzi.......
_____________________________________

credits:
original quote by Ira Glass
graphic image by Sawyer Hollenshead

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