So true. I am constantly having to remind myself that all endeavors (artistic, business, etc) take a huge amount of time to get rolling. So much relies on consistency and dedication.
As a side note, I just found you site and am loving reading your articles. Keep up the great work.
Another brilliant gem of a post packed with great info! Totally agree with the last line as well. Wondering if I could use it (credited to you, of course) on my new website? ~ S L Donaldson
Thank you both for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us!
Brian,
I really appreciate your kind words and patience is one of those things that I have had to work on a lot in my professional (and personal) life. Fortunately, my one redeeming trait (kind of) is that I’m also complete stubborn ass and no one is ever going to tell me when I need to quit writing. I figure that eventually, I’ll just change the name of this site to SkinnyOldArtists and we’ll sit around talking about scooters, cholesterol, and joint health.
Ms. D.B. Cooper, :)
It’s always a pleasure to see you here! Also your green-haired crab-like spider avatar has never looked better. I can’t wait to see the new site up and running. Please feel free to borrow what you want, I know where to find you if I need it back . . .
I think it’s a dose of realism that should be injected into any seriously committed endeavor; it definitely aids us during those times when nothing seems to be happening. It goes the other way too; there’s that well-known anecdote about Picasso charging a woman a ludicrous sum for a sketch he whipped out in seconds because it was informed by so many years.
You’re right Jamie, it’s really more of a matter of faith. It’s about being strong or stubborn enough to have faith in yourself and in your abilities despite the initial lack of success.
I think it’s the world’s way of weeding out those who write, paint, or create music because it looks like fun, and those who do art because they know that for them there is nothing else that will satisfy their soul.
“I think it’s the world’s way of weeding out those who write, paint, or create music because it looks like fun, and those who do art because they know that for them there is nothing else that will satisfy their soul.” – Your words explain perfectly. I love this explanation/reason.
Thanks Amy!
A very cool avatar by the way :P
Great article! I think you are a fantastic writer and I thank you for communicating these ideas which nourish the soul. You are a soul writer!
An excellent reminder. And I believe you picked the perfect time of year to post it—right at the end of summer when people really start to drag and their motivation starts to falter and just before everyone’s energy level picks up again for the fall. Thanks.
Diane,
Thank you for stopping by and joining our little community! Anytime you would care to stop by and compliment my writing, you are always welcome! ;) Seriously though, I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by and give me some feedback. As you mention on your beautifully designed site, any type of feedback (both good and bad) is always appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you again and exploring your site!
Brett,
I think that you’re exactly right about the energy dragging this time of year. I was beginning to think it was just me. Is this some sort of post-summer depression (or I guess post-winter blahs for our southern hemisphere friends) that no one told me about?? Those of you who don’t follow us on FaceBook have missed out on me bitching and moaning on this very topic recently. . .(I bet you’re wanting to follow us now, huh?)
On a side note Brett, I noticed that you live in Roanoke, VA — We actually lived there for several years and my daughter was born there. We still get down there occasionally, but I do often miss the beautiful blue mountains in the valley as well as the big cheesy star on the hill. In fact, my wife and I were just talking about missing Famous Anthony’s the other day. Enjoy some pancakes for me!
Enjoying the blog. Interesting that you reference the tipping point in this article, because Malcolm Gladwell’s most recent book “Outliers” talks specifically about the time and effort that goes into becoming highly successful and it is certainly not overnight. A very interesting read on this subject.
Hi Frank!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us. I’m not sure if you discovered it yet or not, but I actually did an earlier post based partially on Gladwell’s “Outliers” book. It is called “Are You Ready for the Big Time?” and it talks about the importance of continually practicing your art above all else.
Thanks again and I hope to hear from you again soon!
Thanks for this great post. The info I have gained from your blog is truly encouraging
Thanks Mirko! I really appreciate your kind words and support.
Hi Drew,
I’m almost done reading all your posts on this blog, and I applaud you for a wonderfully written and intelligent blog. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and thoughts.
Thank you Kristina for your kind words and also for taking the time to share them. I really appreciate your support and I applaud your willingness (and endurance) to read through all of the different articles on the site. I have to say that I often have a hard time going back and reading them myself. As the author it’s difficult to overlook their many flaws. However I suppose what they may lack in grace, they make up for in honesty and perhaps even a bit of personal growth. . . Thanks again :)