Rejection, fear, and uncertainty are things that artist (writers, singers, musicians, sculptors, etc.) deal with everyday, along with hopes of seeing their dreams manifest themselves into everything they ever thought possible and maybe even more. I never thought I'd become one of those people, because to be quite honest, I never really wanted to work this hard for my work to be seen. The writer's block, rejection letters that every writer gets, the thoughts that cloud your mind and make you think, "maybe I can't do this. Maybe...this isn't for me." I never thought I was strong enough to have someone criticize my work and tell me everything was wrong rather than what was right. But alas, I have become that person, and on a good day, I actually love it.
I hadn't really given any thought to dedication, or hard work, until I got the news that my younger cousin would be going on tour overseas as a drummer for a pretty big name. That's a huge feat for a nineteen year old who moved from a small town to a big city like Los Angeles with just a dream and the love of his mother. Sure, he had family out here to watch out for him, but it was his determination and his faith in God that afforded him this opportunity. When he first moved out here to LA, I saw that he was a hard worker, and that he knew exactly what he wanted. And I told him how amazing it was to be eighteen and have a clear understanding of what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. I knew he'd go far, and I know that this is only the beginning.
So many of us have goals, and dreams. These things tend to change as we get older. The pre-med student becomes a writer, the law student becomes a teacher, the would be teacher becomes a journalist, and so on and so forth. The life you plan for yourself and the life that's already planned for you don't always match. And when that happens, you have to look at what you're really passionate about and make a decision about where you want to go and who you want to be, forget what everyone thinks you should be. Once you decide that THIS is it, go for it. There will be fear, and rejection, but the pay off, that's what makes it worth it.
I hadn't really given any thought to dedication, or hard work, until I got the news that my younger cousin would be going on tour overseas as a drummer for a pretty big name. That's a huge feat for a nineteen year old who moved from a small town to a big city like Los Angeles with just a dream and the love of his mother. Sure, he had family out here to watch out for him, but it was his determination and his faith in God that afforded him this opportunity. When he first moved out here to LA, I saw that he was a hard worker, and that he knew exactly what he wanted. And I told him how amazing it was to be eighteen and have a clear understanding of what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. I knew he'd go far, and I know that this is only the beginning.
So many of us have goals, and dreams. These things tend to change as we get older. The pre-med student becomes a writer, the law student becomes a teacher, the would be teacher becomes a journalist, and so on and so forth. The life you plan for yourself and the life that's already planned for you don't always match. And when that happens, you have to look at what you're really passionate about and make a decision about where you want to go and who you want to be, forget what everyone thinks you should be. Once you decide that THIS is it, go for it. There will be fear, and rejection, but the pay off, that's what makes it worth it.