Photograph by D. Sharon Pruitt
When I was first committed to the notion of being an artist I figured I would know “I really made it” once my work was displayed in a gallery or museum. What else could I possibly want?!
As you can imagine, after I reached my goal I thought, now what? Am I successful now? What else do I want to achieve as an artist? Each goal I achieve (or don’t) opens the door to “what next?” This inevitably leads me back to the notion of success. If I keep reaching for goals and setting new ones, am I ever really successful?
One thing we all can do to avoid this circular feeling is to have a large, overarching goal. For me, I would like to financially survive off of my creative endeavors. So while I achieve small and not-so-small goals along my way, I remind myself that they are all to work towards my dream of being a self-sustaining artist.
It’s important to know for yourself what you are aiming for. It is easy to lose sight of why you are making such an effort. Holding faith that all of your effort is building up to something bigger and better can sustain you in tougher times.
Recently I lost sight of my big picture. I have been blessed with opportunity as of late. All of these small things can build up and get overwhelming. Yet, at the end of the day I create because I love it, because I feel compelled to make art. If my overarching goal no longer meshes with my love of creative spirit… maybe it is time for a new goal?! This does not mean I have failed to be successful, it means my circumstance and needs have changed.
Even if I never reach my goal I can be happy and proud that I keep my passion alive and thriving. Disappointment is a reality of life we all need to embrace on some level. I can tell you I don’t believe in failing and I am going to work really hard to make my dream become reality. Hopefully that desire will lead to the greener pastures I have deemed “success.” I believe hard work pays off… I see it in my classroom every day.
So, what is success to me? I’m still hoping I’ll know it when I get there, but I also have a measurable goal (a financial amount to strive for and no I am not telling you how much 🙂 ) that will affirm my success once I reach it. How will you know you’ve “made it?”
How do you define success?
BE COURAGEOUSLY CREATIVE: What do you REALLY want for yourself? Review the article How to Measure Success to help you create a goal to meet on your way to success.
This is a question that I am starting to answer very differently than I would have even a few months or years ago. While I’d love to be able to support myself from my creative pursuits (writing, creative consulting, design), thinking that’s the measure of my success stopped me from doing anything creative for over a year.
Over the last three months, I have started to create for the joy of it: writing whether people read me or not; creating visual art without criticizing first attempts; editing an abandoned manuscript with love because it deserves it, not because it has to be the next best-seller. The wonderful thing that I have noticed is that other external signs of “success” are now finding me in the form of new creative opportunities, outlets, paying clients, and most of all, creative flow. We all know this is supposed to be true, but it’s a strange thing to actually allow it to happen.
Thanks for your post and asking the question.
Hi Carolyn!
I completely understand where you are coming from. I think that often my larger goal can get in the way of play and the pure enjoyment I can feel when creating if I focus too much on that goal. And preventing that time for play and experimentation can actually hamper our success! I’m so glad to hear you are creating out of joy and that you are reaping so many benefits from it. Perhaps that should be the discussion topic of a future post. 🙂
Thank you for sharing and happy creating!
Best Wishes, Carrie
Great post, Carrie. I really identified with it. I tend to set goals that are potentially achievable but only in the very long term (allowing plenty of opportunity for discouragement) or meeting short-term goals but not allowing myself to savor them, because I instead focusing on meeting the next short-term goal.
It’s good that you have the self-awareness to know when you lose sight of your goal, how to set your goals, and how to measure them. I’ve known too many creatives who have lacked that ability. (Of course, we all lose sight of that wisdom from time to time.)
Hi Patrick, Thank you for your insight and perspective! I think goal-setting is something used poorly or not enough. If everyone had a better understanding of how to make goal-setting personal and relevant, perhaps we would all be closer to those creative hopes and dreams.