Ramble about Motivation & Drive [DEC 2015]

NB: This also applies to many people of the creative and entertainment industries and I’ve touched on the topic at the Hermit Burpcast: Dear Aspiring Artist as well. Here I’m focused on throwing thoughts around from my perspective.
A discussion thread came to my attention about what drives people to be an artist. Not a new topic but still important nonetheless.
Why do something so incredibly niche and statistically almost impossible to support yourself doing it?
Why join such a saturated market of many amazing artists?
For every reputable, financially successful artist in the limelight, there are countless more artists (freelance or not) struggling to get by and barely making minimal wage with their profession of choice alone.
Or it’s likely that they’re simply not reaching minimal wage at all. The nobodies. I count myself as one of them but I am still ambitious and hopeful. I refuse to give up. Stubborn. This is what I enjoy doing. It seems like I’m getting better at it. (I’d like to think I am!) So I’m going to protect it. Plus it’s not completely impossible! Even the successful artists started out as nobodies!
I am completely aware how slim it is.
This knowledge was why it took me so long to finally change careers and face it head on.
Failure & uncertainty is part of the journey — usually nags at the back of my mind.
It’s a daily choice to push through.
That “I believe in myself that I am progressing today, however small!”
I try to stick to the mindset that true failure is completely giving up what you believe in and not evolving as a person. Whether this is freelancing independently or working on your own personal projects with a day job or even a new career calling…it’s up to the individual.
Like most people, I am driven by projects I care about. (:
…more of the original blog post continues in the link below!