I never liked that advice, nor "follow your bliss." Those are easy things for very successful people to say, and they sound great. I even know a few folks who've made it work. But I also know folks who've crashed and burned in a horrible fiery wreck of melted wax and feathers. Nobody ever interviews them to ask THEIR advice.
In real life, people have responsibilities and needs--money for food and shelter among them. I like the idea of working toward ambitions without being stupid about it. Have a plan for getting from here to there, and be honest with yourself about whether you're making progress. I think if you're trying to do a difficult thing, in a field in which a lot of talented people are fighting for a few golden rings, it's good to understand you might not succeed. That doesn't mean you're self-sabotaging or don't have enough faith in yourself. It just means you're not an idiot.
Ray Bradbury started out as a pulp writer earning so many cents per word for his stories. No priviledge involved. He stuck to it and made a name for himself. A lot of similar writers never hit the big time. It's a risk. Do it when you're young so you can bounce back.
5 comments:
I never liked that advice, nor "follow your bliss." Those are easy things for very successful people to say, and they sound great. I even know a few folks who've made it work. But I also know folks who've crashed and burned in a horrible fiery wreck of melted wax and feathers. Nobody ever interviews them to ask THEIR advice.
In real life, people have responsibilities and needs--money for food and shelter among them. I like the idea of working toward ambitions without being stupid about it. Have a plan for getting from here to there, and be honest with yourself about whether you're making progress. I think if you're trying to do a difficult thing, in a field in which a lot of talented people are fighting for a few golden rings, it's good to understand you might not succeed. That doesn't mean you're self-sabotaging or don't have enough faith in yourself. It just means you're not an idiot.
Fully agree with the comment above
Me too!!
Ray Bradbury started out as a pulp writer earning so many cents per word for his stories. No priviledge involved. He stuck to it and made a name for himself. A lot of similar writers never hit the big time. It's a risk. Do it when you're young so you can bounce back.
Post a Comment