Being passionate about something doesn't mean you're good at it. Likewise, being good at something doesn't mean you're passionate about it. In the field of art, whether drawing, painting or sculpting there are lies that seem to be popular among the artist crowd that, if nothing else, justifies their lack of initiative and laziness.
One lie is that you will one day be discovered. Truthfully you won't be discovered, ever. Your success, no matter what you do, is 100% your responsibility. Passion has nothing to do with it. It's all about finding your niche audience and marketing to them.
Other lies:
- It takes money to make money.
- Fake it till you make it.
- If you love what you do, you'll never work hard.
- Failure is not an option.
Okay, I'm not so dumb that I don't get the spirit behind these cliches but the very fact that they are cliches makes the phrases highly suspect.
It takes money to make money
When I started earning money as an illustrator I did it with material I already owned, and I paid $25 for a space at Traders Village. In return, I made 10 times my initial investment.
When I started Dollhouse Windows, I paid a total of $50 for supplies and by the end of the week I had 10 times my investment.
Yes, it took a little money but not on the scale the lie leads one to believe.
Fake it till you make it
In my profession there is no faking it. Drawing is a skill that must be learned. If I set up a drawing table in Trader's Village, as I mentioned earlier, but couldn't draw a lick, then no one would have paid me a penny. One may fake something, but the customers and clients will eventually see through it. Thats why snake oil salesmen don't stay in one place very long.
If you love what you'll do, you'll never work hard
Another boner. I love what I do but there are times when I work hard, very hard, and sometimes all I wanted to do is go home. Building my reputation and trust is also a lot of hard work.
Failure is not an option
This may be true in some occupations such as manned space travel, or police work when people's lives are on the line but when it comes to business and in particular my occupation, failure is a must. Thats how a person learns to get better at what they do.
If someone who has things of value to offer that will not only enhance others' lives but also his own by increasing income and personal satisfaction, the above bunk can hamstring his desire to even try. I know because that was me at one time. I won't go into my one-time occupation as a night watchman whose primary job was guarding an empty parking lot all night! I can say with confidence that was not meant to be my life's work. Interestingly enough, it was sitting in that cold dark parking lot when my sleep deprived mind decided to challenge the lies.
The fact of the matter is there is no substitute for hard work and there are no shortcuts to success; It must be earned. Don't make the mistake of sitting around waiting to be discovered when you already have enough to do for ten lifetimes.
