There's nothing more frustrating that being wildly passionate about a project and not seeing it resonate with others. Over the years I performed in countless little black box theaters only to see 4, or 5 people in attendance. I've spent weeks polishing up an article only to have it read by a handful of people. I have also made films so handedly rejected from festivals it made my head spin. But I keep doing it. Why?
Because it's important to ME.
Your job as an artist is not to be a molder of consensus but to share your craftsmanship with the world and see what happens. But you can only continue to put good work out if it means something to you first.
The quest for validation by getting up at 4:00 am to work on a screenplay, or bleed on stage for your craft will more than likely go unappreciated. And that's just the people who show up. Most people won't get it and large percentage won't even care. We all lead busy lives and are naturally consumed by our own needs.
In Haruki Murakami's book South of the Border, West of the Sun there's a terrific line that goes:
“People want to be bowled over by something special. Nine times out of ten you might strike out,
but that tenth time, that peak experience, is what people want. That’s what can move the world. That’s art.”
We do it for that one time. But it can't be only for that one time. We have to ultimately do it because we want to. If we don't the blank stares from parents and friends when we describe our latest endeavors will stop us in our tracks.
It's not for them, it's for YOU.
JUST. DON'T. QUIT.
Ever felt like there's a hierarchy on careers? A close friend of mine seems almost consumed by which professions are important and those that aren't. Traditionally admired paths like doctor, or engineer get a 5 star rating in his assessment, but less conventional callings rank lower.
Still, it all comes down to the value you attribute to what you do. If a physician saves a life isn't it then about what that life goes on to do? How he or she influences the community, forges relationships, and leaves a legacy? Don't teachers, artists, and actors have the same capacity? Perhaps we don't save lives in the conventional sense, but maybe we lift a spirit, offer a little hope. Who's to say this isn't an equally worthwhile pursuit?
In his memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami says the following:
"Even if, seen from the outside, or from some higher vantage point, this sort of life looks pointless or futile, or even extremely inefficient, it doesn't bother me. Maybe it's some pointless act like, as I've said before, pouring water into an old pan that has a hole in the bottom, but at least the effort you put into it remains. Whether it's good for anything or not, cool or totally uncool, in the final analysis what's most important is what you can't see but can feel in your heart."
If it's important to you it's important enough.
