How do I know when to quit? Following your Passion was not meant to be easy
Me by my paintings at Joyería Oroitalia in Costa del Este, Panamá.
We have a dream, a passion we want to pursue. But things get harder and harder and then what? Was it supposed to happen? Was it all in my mind? How do we know when to quit?
I actually have quit several times, lol. It has been a hard road but what was my alternative? To just forget about it? I couldn't because I love to paint. I think that things changed for me the moment that I was so down, but just the thought of not painting again was more painful than the pain of no gallery accepting my work or nobody buying my art. I was hoping that a gallery would want to represent me, but it didn't happen. It made me sad and depressed and made me feel that my work was not good enough. It got so bad that I then made the decision to surrender it to God and keep painting for the sake of painting and if no gallery would ever represent my work or nobody ever bought from me I would be ok because I knew deep down that it is what I was meant to do. There had to be a good reason why God put that love for painting in my heart and If it was meant for me to happen or not, I didn't know, but I knew painting was so ingrained in me that I had no choice but to keep painting.
Out of the blue the idea of the flowers came to me, I tried the gallery route again and nothing. But it didn't stop me because I knew that my flowers were going to be liked by somebody, lol. You have the option to give yourself permission to fail. I know it hurts but in a way it is freeing. You could use allll of your energy on trying to do what your passion is calling you to do for passion's sake. Or... you could go the "self-doing it" route. Take the matters into your own hands. Put the same energy and resources into it. Be the master of your own career and not depend on the arbitrary decisions of the big companies, or what I call: "The Gate Keepers". This is the era of "self doing". People all over the world are having successful careers on their own terms thanks to what is available now on the internet: painters, writers, musicians. And it is affecting the big companies like galleries, publishers and music labels. Even TV is being affected, people are watching more YouTube now than TV and they know it. This is the way of the future. I decided long ago that my career and happiness wasn't going to be controlled by art galleries. It is a close circle and I don't want to give all my power to them. Now, this route is hard work. I have to do EVERYTHING: paint, marketing, sales. But guess what? I am happy. I am in control. I have a purpose. I decide what, when and where. I am so focused and motivated because I know that it only depends on how hard I work and not on a gallery that may have so many artists that they cannot properly focus solely on my art. I wake up every day excited about what I can do next. It is really up to you which way to take but please, don't quit doing what you love.
If your goal is to be happy doing what you love doing, why not allow other paths to develop? There may be other doors opening but you cannot see them because you have your own idea of how it should work out. Maybe this is what needs to be learned here: surrendering the HOW.
I've learned that solutions to problems many times come completely from left field. Maybe God has a different plan and path for how to share your gifts to the world. And it could even be more satisfying than what you had in mind. But you have to be open to it.
Have you ever heard of the theory of "The Heroes Journey" by Joseph Campbell? I encourage you to read it and here.
Until next time my loves!
Bloom. Grow. Love.
Nadjah
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