To the Struggling Artist…

This is for you, artists.

You are a filmmaker or illustrator or writer or designer. You are an incredible human being who creates out of nothing, who takes inspiration and turns it into something new. The problem is, you want to make a living at what you love to do, but the road ahead is steep and full of obstacles.

You’ve hit a rocky spot on your journey. You face doubts, or battle depression, or question your path. You start to wonder if you’ve made a mistake. You shouldn’t have gone to school for this, you should have done something practical. Guilt tears away at you when you dare to quit your 9–5 to pursue your passion. The work isn’t flowing in. The connections aren’t being made. You’ve failed. Maybe you weren’t meant to be in a creative field after all…

I don’t care what kind of creative you are, whether you compose Shakespearean sonnets or bake wickedly awesome cakes. If you ever reached that scary precipice in which you questioned the creative life, then realize this:

Out of all the insane combinations of DNA and events throughout history that led up to your birth, there is no single being who is exactly like you. As a creative individual, you feel the need to bring something out into the world. A book. A drawing. A design. A needlepoint. Even if someone somehow came up with the same idea, there’s no way they’d do it in your way.

After that realization, and after knowing that you yourself want to create something, you need to find a way to make that happen. Create a schedule for yourself. Figure out what you need to accomplish in order to reach your goals. Give yourself believable stepping stones on that path and then get to walking. You can’t go on a journey without taking those steps.

If you want to be a writer, you better be writing.

If you want to be an illustrator, I hope you’re filling up sketchbooks.

If you want to be an award winning costume designer…you should probably know how to sew.

You’re not going to achieve your goals if you sit around complaining about how you’re not doing it. It takes work, practice, connections, luck, talent, faith…

It takes the ability to face months of unemployment, slogging through jobs you’d rather not do, until you finally finish your magnum opus. Alright, it might not be a masterwork, at least not the first 5 or 6 tries, but you proved you can get this far. Now keep going.

How do you do it? If you find yourself stuck creatively, then take a small break. Re-read that book you love. Splurge on a favorite, nostalgic TV show. Do something silly and fun, then try your “serious” work.

Find your center. Remember who you are. With your mission clear in your mind, you can conquer your fears and plunge ahead into the great, wonderful, terrifying unknown.

It’s time, brave traveler. You just had to remind yourself that you were packed and ready from the start.