Being a Creative is F*cking Hard (and Most People Will Think You're Insane)

I am feeling incredibly proud of myself today.

Currently having a good mental day where I am reflecting how challenging it is to do this creative career thing - and yet here I am, still persisting through.

Honestly the biggest challenge is the mental hoops you have to work through. Working a job you hate just to pay the bills, constantly searching/applying/tweaking resumes for a new opportunity that might make you happier, connecting with people through dm's, coffee meetings, dinners, etc., sharing your work so you are seen as a respectable and ACTIVE creative, dealing with people's judgement & doubt, dealing with your own judgment & doubt... I mean the list goes on and on.

All for it to be a "maybe".

Some people might think that's really dumb. Why put in so much effort if there's no guarantee of an outcome?

To me, that is an ignorant assumption. And feels incredibly disrespectful. So here's my argument to that assumption:

Newton's third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When one object pushes or pulls another object, the second object pushes or pulls back with the exact same strength in the opposite direction. These forces always occur in pairs. Remember this right?

If this is true (and we all agree it is), how could me putting in so much effort result in.... NOTHING?

The law literally states that a push and a pull always occurs in pairs. So when I push towards something, the natural reaction is that SOMETHING must happen.

I am not sitting here and saying that that thing is going to change my life... I never said that.

I am simply just saying that step by step, brick by brick, every bit of effort I put in will gradually accumulate into a result.

Since we have not seen that exact result yet, it is now up to the persons own perception of reality that will influence whether or not you believe that outcome will be positive or negative.

Those who are creative enough oftentimes possess the imagination to believe that that result will be positive. I mean at some point you had to have to right? Otherwise the idea wouldn't have crossed your brain in the first place. At some point, you had to optimistically BELIEVE that the thing you want is achievable. Otherwise you wouldn't have even tried.

Those who struggle to understand the possibility of this working out, potentially just lack this kind of imagination. And I am sorry if that is offensive, but unfortunately it may just be true.

Sometimes, it is hard to believe something will happen when you don't see many people around you achieving it. That's what makes it feel like so much of a dream - you can't actively see it right in front of you.

But if you dare to give yourself the opportunity to dream a little... and give yourself enough grace to try it out... you will slowly start to find people around you who are actively making it happen.

Because the truth is, there are people who are actively succeeding in a creative career.

The reality is though, those people had to work and outlast a lot of other people to get there. I am not denying that.

This is where the numbers start to fall off and where unimaginative people come in and tell you "it's not possible" - because the math does tell you, its harder than not.

But here's the thing... you might over time realize that the specific work needed to get you where you thought you wanted to go is no longer worth it. And that is OK - it just means it's time to pivot into something that's more alligned.

However, that work you already put in is not going away and it's not for nothing. Remember, that is just the groundwork that is guiding you towards the thing that is meant for you. (aka, your results).

So anyways.. this is why I am feeling proud of myself today. Because aside from all of the judgement, doubt, and exhaustion - I STILL believe I can achieve the thing I want. This just shows me it really is my own idea that I am grounded in. No matter what anyone says about whether or not it’s possible, it never seems to change my mindset. And I think that’s pretty cool.