Do you like
this article?
We send out articles like this one in our free weekly newsletter. The newsletter is written to motivate, inspire, educate, and entertain you.
To sign up, send us an email to Subscribe@TomorrowsEdge.net with the words "free motivational newsletter" in the subject line. We will be happy to add you to the list.
negative self-
How can I conquer my negativity and become a naturally positive person?
answers these questions
and more
Aspirations and Realities
For whatever reason, I have had a lot of aspiring writers come to me lately feeling worried and insecure. They feel that since their work has not been published yet that they must not be very good writers. Or they are so afraid of being turned down by publishers that they can barely get themselves to write at all. They beg me for bits of wisdom to help get them over this fear and doubt. A few years ago, it was aspiring musicians asking me the same kinds of questions. What if I’m not good enough? What if I never succeed at this? What if they tell me I suck?
I don’t think it matters what career path you choose, the fear of failing at our most precious dreams is a fairly universal experience. Failing a few times (or maybe a lot of times) before finally succeeding is also a universal experience. There is a reason we love those stories of the underdog who keeps going, who keeps overcoming the odds, and who eventually wins the day. We want the hero story without the obstacles, the fear, and the drama that actually makes it adventurous and interesting. How boring would life be, if we easily and effortlessly achieved all of our goals? Goal setting would be about as enticing as washing dishes.
So, stop asking me to take away your fear, your nervousness, and your uncertainty about your ability to succeed. I won’t rob you of such delights. What I will do is tell you that you are worrying about the wrong thing. The question is not whether or not you are good enough, whether or not you are divinely inspired, or whether or not you are meant to succeed. The question is “Are you a decent salesman?” And for most of us, the answer is “NO! I hate trying to sell my own work!”
I have seen amazing writing passed up by publishers and I have seen wonderful musicians never become famous. I have also seen lousy books that never should have been published, the writing was AWFUL! And I’ve heard music CDs that sounded like a bunch of 4 year olds banging on pots and pans. Same goes for artists, good ones passed up and bad ones displayed in the galleries. It is not the quality of the product produced that made it a success. It was the ability to sell it to a bigwig decision maker that made it successful.
If you are an artist, writer, musician, or whatever else… don’t create your masterpiece with the sales in mind, create it with your heart and soul in mind. Just give birth to the art that is within you and do not worry about whether or not it will ever sell. Write because you are a writer, not because you may or may not become a “published author.” Paint because you are a painter, not because you may or may not become famous for it. Act, cook, compose, grow, build, teach, or whatever it is you do, because your heart sings when you do it.
Later, if you like, you can put on your salesman’s hat and try to sell the goods to others. Selling is nothing like creating. They take completely different mindsets, completely different skills, and while one is creative and intuitive, the other is plain old dollars and cents logic and practicality. Is there or is there not a market for this item? What kind of value would a buyer put on such a piece? Most successful writers, artists, actors, and musicians have a business manager, an agent, or some other person who does the “selling” for them because it is really very difficult for most of us to sell our own precious treasures.
You are an artist, writer, actor, musician, etc even if you never earn a dime from such activities. Yes, you might have to get a “real job” to make sure you have a roof over your head and food in your belly while you paint, write, or try out for roles on Broadway. But that has nothing to do with your worth or your talent. That is simply because there are so many of us with those same dreams and only so many paying jobs available. Whether or not you snag the publisher’s attention, the director’s attention, the gallery owner’s attention, the music mogul’s attention has more to do with sales, luck, and connections than it does talent.
Success is about a lot of things and talent is only one small part. You have to be hungry for it; most of us really aren’t. You have to work hard for it; most of us would rather not. You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot in the beginning; most of us won’t. You have to work your dream like it’s a job and you have to do it with an entrepreneur’s work ethic; most of us find excuses not to. However, that does not make us any less talented, any less creative, or any less special. It just means that like most people, we hate to “sell ourselves” and to risk rejection. It is safer to dream of being “discovered” than it is to actively toot our own horn. It takes a special breed to toot their own horn. It is easier to hire someone else to do it for you.
And that is the answer to your own fears. If you are so afraid of rejection, that you are unable to sell your manuscripts, acting skills, musical talents, etc, then hire someone to do it for you. Yes, you pay them a percentage, but they relieve you of having to face those painful rejection letters and “don’t call us we’ll call you” moments. Pay a professional to go through it for you, so you can get back to what you do best. Now the only question remaining, is how much are you willing to pay to avoid feeling insecure?
Copyright 2008, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow’s Edge