I'm watching the television show "Before They Were Famous" profiling the stars nominated for Oscars. It reminded me of something important.
The key to a happy life is being famous!!
No. Please.
No, it reminds me of this. The key ingredient for any successful artist is persistence.
I looked up some stats on George Clooney (featured above in the movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes). He had been acting almost an entire decade before getting his big break on ER.
The reality is that big break might have never happened. His career could have gone in ten thousand different directions. He's grown in talent and wisdom and has had the great fortune to be in the right place at the right time.
But I also know he's been persistent.
So how does that apply to writers? Because, well, even some of the most successful authors aren't "famous." They're barely recognizable.
The fame I'm talking about for writers is being a successful author, being a household name, that sort of thing. It's a rare thing, and many people give up. There are ten billion writers out there, and ten million published authors. How do you get that big break?
You keep at it, and you keep your head above the waters of despair. You remain undaunted when every sign tells you not to be. You remain determined to keep at it, little by little. You keep working because if you do, you might be at the right place at the right time.
Persistence. I've said it ten thousand times before to remind myself.
Keep at it, Travis.
Because you never know. You just never know.
Labels: journey
