If Magic Sprinkles Aren't the Key to Success, What is? Three Ideas to Try Today
I used to think that some people were sprinkled with magic at birth. They just had a certain “it” quality that gave them power, confidence, and guaranteed success. They were just ‘those’ kind of people…almost like they were given special permission to do the big things, and the rest of us…were not.
We were meant to wrap up in a blanket on the couch and watch ‘those’ people get the things we want. We were not christened with the magic, we did not get the special permission slip. We are somehow outside of it all. Looking in. Barely questioning our role as spectator however much we loathe it.
Over the years I have learned that the magic sprinkles are a myth, and 9 times out of 10 the people who have the things we want just worked for it. Really hard. For a long time. And so can we. ⠀⠀
OF COURSE there are exceptions. Differences in crucial factors such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, physical/mental health, appearance, innate talent and family connections make a HUGE impact on our starting line. We could spend months talking about the inequality that exists in a world rife with power imbalances, inexcusable discrimination and unfairness. I will never pretend like this is an equal playing field.
BUT, I will say this…whatever starting line you happen to be on, we ALL have the power to elevate our situation and move closer to the things we want.
We see evidence of this every day. Many of the people who have shaped and revolutionized this world have come from the humblest beginnings. We have also seen others born into gross amounts of privilege who squander every opportunity and rot in stagnation and self indulgence.
So what is it then? If no one has been sprinkled with magic, what is the factor that distinguishes those who ‘make it’ and those who don’t? What makes some people ‘doers’ and some people ‘watchers’? What separates success from failure?
Obviously there could be a million answers to these questions, but let's talk about three.
Just starting – then never stopping
Authenticity
Defining success on your own terms
STARTING AND NOT STOPPING
It may seem obvious, but every single person you see doing the things you want to do, had to act on an idea. Often the idea starts as a glimmer of a thought, a curiosity, or even a ‘wouldn’t it be funny if…’. We all have thoughts like this multiple times a day, but rarely take action. If you have a great idea, or even a weird idea, get moving today! Start something. Anything! Simply writing it down even helps solidify. Tell someone about it. Maybe order one of the materials required to make it. Sit down and research the idea for just five minutes. Take the smallest, simplest first action. These small actions snowball as your natural interest increases and gains momentum.
The other obvious but crucial factor is refusing to quit. This doesn’t mean you can’t pivot, or even stop a project altogether if you can see it’s not the right path. But rather than quitting altogether, look at what was working, what wasn’t, modify your plan and start again.
Literally the only thing that can keep you from success is quitting. Everything else is just a ‘not yet’. If you listen to interviews with artists and creatives who are doing amazing things, they each have complex stories littered with humiliating failures, crushing disappointments, and painful rejections. They get lost on their path, they meander, they change direction. But somehow, as they keep pushing forward, their way opens up and they discover what they are meant to do. Then about ten years after that you hear their name for the first time.
I find great comfort and hope as I listen to the stories of artists I admire. They are so human. So ordinary even. They are not magical, they are rarely prodigies, and they have never mentioned receiving a permission slip to do audacious things. Quite often they are just like me. The unexpected opportunities, strange coincidences, and hard won successes in their journeys remind me that my own journey will likely have the same. But I will never discover them if I quit.
AUTHENTICITY
Social media and online courses have revolutionized our access to information, education, connection, and self promotion. The power this gives each of us to take charge of our own story is incredible! I’m constantly inspired by the artwork and business models of artists I encounter online. I have made lasting connections and learned from experts sharing about marketing and art sales. Social media has given me the opportunity to find my voice and promote my work in ways I never thought possible. I love this!
One unfortunate drawback of this online art culture is the way certain ‘recipes’ for success become so visible. We get distracted from our own highest work as we allow our eyes to wander in search of the shortcut to success. We notice patterns. Art that looks a certain way seems to bring high engagement and sales. A particular artist markets herself well and sells out a collection within seconds...what is show doing that I’m not?
We start to believe there is an answer key that exists out there and if we could just find it, all of our dreams will come true. We stop honoring the answers that are bubbling up from within us, fearing they are silly or wrong. And there are plenty of experts out there who would love for you to believe this, claiming they do indeed have the answer key and you can see it for a price.
While it is valuable to invest in our businesses and gain knowledge from experts, no amount of marketing can substitute for quality, authentic work that comes from deep within you. The work should be good enough to speak for itself, and the marketing exists only to bring more awareness to it. I see artists exhaust themselves in content creation and pay for expensive marketing programs while failing to nurture the work itself. They get disheartened and burn out when they don’t see results. The truth is their eye was off the ball. They lost touch with themselves, their unique voice, and fell short of their creative potential.
When you think of the artists you admire most there is likely something in their work that feels fresh and alive. It’s not that the subject matter is so novel, it might be a subject you’ve seen a thousand times before. But the work is infused with an unnameable quality that can only be defined as authenticity–the unique point of view of the artist that shines through regardless of what they are creating. They are willing to take risks in their work. They are guided by an inner compass not by outer metrics. When artists make their truest work, viewers and collectors can FEEL it.
Following someone else’s recipe for your art or your sales may bring temporary results but is unlikely to yield a flourishing, fulfilling career that will last a lifetime. Rote replication and repetition lacks novelty and imagination and often leads to a burnout. The more you tap into your weird, trust your instincts, and allow for play and risk-taking, the more joy you will have in your practice and the longer you will last in this field. Trust your instincts. Let your authenticity shine.
DEFINING SUCCESS
The most important part of reaching true success is knowing what success even means to you. As you longingly watch other artists doing the things you envy, do you also consider exactly what it takes for them to maintain that success? Would that actually align with your priorities or bring you joy?
If painting the same landscape over and over would make you financially successful but kill your soul and your creativity, is it actually success for you?
If working in the studio 40+ hours a week under strict deadlines and external pressures, with every additional minute being split between content creation, satisfying the algorithm, email marketing, and so on would make you a big-name artist, but also sounds like agony…is it actually success?
It’s so easy to romanticize and idealize the very best parts of another person’s journey without reconciling the struggle that comes with it. I’m reminded of this every time I see a celebrity documentary… the shameless paparazzi and tabloids, intense demands and pressures, the inability to make friends or form relationships naturally… I would DESPISE this life. This is NOT success in my eyes, yet our society idealizes fame as the ultimate proof of it.
If you can recognize what success is not, it’s also important to define what it IS.
Is there a specific goal you have in mind that when you reach it you will call yourself successful? Most of us have an uncrossable finish line which continually maintains a distance equal to our strides. We run and run but never finish and never celebrate because our sites are always set somewhere in the distance.
Maybe success is simply making art every week. Maybe success is actually less art and more exercise and sleep. Maybe it’s a dollar amount per month or year. Whatever it is, determine it now or spend a lifetime chasing an illusion.
I am far from achieving all the things I’ve dreamed up for myself, but I’m a heck of a lot farther than nowhere—which is where I’d be if I continued to believe that success is something for other people. For over ten years I have been inching forward veeeeery slowly, but I’m inching with intention. And I feel like my path is finally starting to become clear. ⠀⠀
You may feel like the things you want are so far beyond your reach...and maybe that’s true today. But today can also be the beginning of something new. Act on that weird idea that’s been swirling around in your brain. Trust your own intuition. Take small, intentional actions and refuse to quit. Determine your own version of success and celebrate every step along the way.
I know it’s hard to stay in the game sometimes, when you feel so far behind. But I promise if you just start inching forward with intention, you will get a heck of a lot farther than nowhere! And somewhere between perfection and nowhere is a pretty good place to be:)
Sending Love,
Denise
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