This post originally appeared here on Medium.
Never Stop Doing What You Love Because
One Day What You Love Will Love You Back
Did you ever wake up in the morning with a deep persuasion within you to create? It’s the excitement tingling up and down your skin, impatient to share your creation with the world.
If you are a creator who is passionate about your craft, you know that feeling — the deep desire which sparks imagination and creativity. It gives birth to works of art that inspire the world. It’s like you’re bursting with sacred energy and all you require is an outlet for the tidal wave within to flow through.
You communicate in a language of possibility instead of what exists. Art is the ability to transmit energy onto the canvas and manifest magic at the tips of your fingers. The world becomes your playground as you unleash the inner artist.
Even if there is a possibility of failure, it will not hold you back. That’s because you are a passionate artist. Life becomes meaningful and abundant when you express yourself through your craft. As a result, failure or success becomes irrelevant.
The question is, will you create if no one appreciates; if it didn’t make you money; if you knew you would fail? If the answer is yes, that is a sign of genuine passion. If not, it is work. Every kind of work deserves its fair wages. If they don’t pay, you have a right to abandon it and move on.
— purposefullifenow.com
_____________________________
Photo by Ithalu Dominguez from Pexels
Your love for the craft compels you to invest hours, days, and weeks pursuing mastery. The world of thrills and imagination sets you ablaze. Like the fireworks, you take flight, exploding into the sky shattering the darkness.
Following a few months of pure passion and excitement, the fire gradually fizzles out. You discover what works for others might not work for you. While many others eventually dwindle, you continue churning out your craft with the nagging question at the back of your mind. Is it worth spending so much time on something that doesn’t pay off?
Wait. What? I thought you were passionate about your craft. I thought that was the love of your life. You said writing was your creative outlet. You love doing this above all else. And most importantly, you were not in it for the money. When did money enter the equation?
What changed?
The winding path of creativity
The artist travels on a path with many twists and turns. Along comes friends and fellow creators whose enthusiasm is magnetic offering unceasing encouragement. The thrilling rush of blood from the heart to the brain makes you feel you’re swinging from the top of the world.
One thing remains true. Intense effort and deep passion do not guarantee the outcome you want. Now what? Does that mean you’re no longer as passionate as you claimed? If this is so, then clearly, this is not for you. What you thought was pure love, in the beginning, was only infatuation. When your craft doesn’t produce what you thought was the desired outcome, the motivation ceases.
You’re not an artist because someone thinks you are one. You’re an artist because you tap into your stream of creativity and execute an idea into reality. If nothing else, you fulfill your life mission by doing what you need to do with the gift afforded you.
— purposefullifenow.com
_____________________________
Photo by Ithalu Dominguez from Pexels
Hard work is the main criterion for success, but that’s not all there is. Many people have yet to get their lucky break despite working very hard. That’s because even with good maps, there’s no guarantee of success. Life is more meaningful when you do more of what makes you happy. But what if what makes you happy does not pay the bills? Will you continue to put in the work regardless of how it turns out?
The question is, will you create if no one appreciates; if it didn’t make you money; if you knew you would fail? If the answer is yes, that is a sign of genuine passion. If not, it is work. Every kind of work deserves its fair wages. If they don’t pay, you have a right to abandon it and move on.
The reason you are persistent in your craft, even when the outcome might be nothing, is that it’s fun. It’s love. It’s an outlet for your creativity. You’re put here on earth with a gift — the gift to create. You invest your heart and soul, giving life to your craft.
Whether it’s a piece of music, a script, a poem, or a painting, it is authentically you. You owe it to yourself to hold your head up high. You don’t have to be perfect, but you can certainly be proud because you’ve come all this way.
Original Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
For the love of the craft
Creativity is a winding path with steep turns on hilly terrain. You’re not always sure of what to expect, but it allows you to live a creatively fulfilled life as nothing else could.
You learn to follow your inner guidance, no matter how crazy or unrealistic they seem. As you flow along in the stream, you produce your best at the moment and let it out into the world like floating lanterns in the sky. When you complete that project, you create another and another.
Continue doing what you’re doing because this isn’t about other people or their opinion. It’s about you. You didn’t give your heart and soul into expressing yourself, only to second guess what you have created.
Sure, there may be room for continuous improvement, and you can do that. There are moments to celebrate new avenues, find excitement outside your comfort zone, and be there when inspiration shows up.
Don’t abandon your gift because someone criticizes or can’t see what you see because their reality differs from yours. Only you can decide if it’s good enough. Even if you might fail at the moment, it is still yours. Be proud of it.
You’re not an artist because someone thinks you are one. You’re an artist because you tap into your stream of creativity and execute an idea into reality. Refuse to lose track of the journey by obsessing over the outcome. Find joy in the process. If nothing else, you fulfill your life mission by doing what you need to do with the gift afforded you.
So go ahead and create. Spread a little magic whenever you can. You’ll never know that it might just change everything in another person’s world.
