Novice Enthusiasm: Redefining Success to Stay Alive
Discouragement and desperation can creep in when we feel we’ve failed to meet the standards set by our creative industry or worse, the standards we believe are required for success. If sales drop, if freelance jobs stop rolling in, or if the money just isn’t there, we can start to see ourselves as failures. But that reaction stems from an outside measurement of success rather than an internal one. When we let the industry, social media, or even our family’s expectations define what “making it” looks like, we can lose sight of our own benchmarks for achievement.
It’s important to remember the original reasons we jumped headfirst into a creative career. For me, it wasn’t about the money—at least not exclusively. It was for the feeling of expression, the joy of seeing an idea come to life, and the excitement of building entire worlds from scratch. I’m sure it was the same for you too. These reasons are precious and deserve protection. They are what keep us going when the industry says, “You’re not good enough,” or “You’re not making enough.” The truth is, if we relied solely on external validation to measure success, we’d find ourselves in a constant state of self-doubt. I’ve been there. I’m sure you have too. To be fully transparent, I don’t even like the person I become when I’m bogged down by that feeling. If you’re anything like me, its a constant battle to keep that feeling at bay.
Monetary reward, accolades, and job titles might feel like the pillars that hold up a “successful” creative career, but they’re not the ultimate sign of growth. True creative development happens in the background while you’re trying, failing, learning, and evolving. Your craft can flourish regardless of your employment status. If you ever need to step away from your creative hustle—be it for financial reasons, family, or just a personal reset—that doesn’t mean you’ve hit a dead end. It just means your path is taking a detour, and you can still nurture your artistry outside the constraints of a professional title. In fact, the detour just might be the thing you need to level up and point you in a direction toward bigger and better creative pursuits.
Remember: “success” is a fluid concept. By defining it for yourself—maybe it’s finishing that personal passion project, trying a new medium, or simply maintaining a steady practice—you take back control of your creative journey. When discouragement and desperation knock, it could be a sign that external pressures are overpowering your internal motivations. Reinforce your original motivations by reconnecting with the novice enthusiast in you, the person who started out with curiosity and belief, unconstrained by expectations. That outlook will guide you through present twists and turns, reminding you that setbacks don’t erase your potential or your worth.
Stay flexible, gracious, unmovable in your belief, and above all, stay enthusiastic. The rest will eventually fall into place.