From the Inspirational Thought Unit
I listened to an interview this week with a Youtuber I like and the host said something profound that I think applies to all creative careers.
They were talking about how you have to go years sometimes where you don’t make any money from your work, and you just do it as a hobby. And how sometimes people give up because they're not making enough money from the endeavor. Which is fair, you've got to be responsible.
And then the host says something profound:
You essentially have to do it, “as if you have nothing to lose…” and then he added “and nothing to gain.” LINK
I keep thinking about that last part.
“Do it as if you have nothing to gain.”
Most of the successful creators on youtube, in music, comics, film, and writing, all have these long stretches of doing their thing without any reward. It's an important part of the process, because you discover the real reason you do the work: The work is its own reward.
Financial and critical success may never come from doing the work, and even if it does, it will fade over time. What stays, what you're always left with is doing is the work. Do it as if you've got nothing to lose and nothing to gain.
See the entire interview here: LINK
-Jake
