If you wish in this world to advance,

Your merits you’re bound to enhance;

You must stir it and stump it

And blow your own trumpet,

Or trust me, you haven’t a chance.

-William Schwenck Gilbert

 

Do we create in order to be visible or do we create in order to be valuable? Do we want to succeed primarily out of a need to impress others, gain celebrity and public acclaim – or do we create because what we do is our passion; it is who we are?

It is best to pursue our creative aspirations because of an intrinsic, gnawing, relentless drive to do so – a desire to contribute something we truly believe has value – something of which we are proud. We believe that our creative enterprise is enduring and worthwhile. Our measure of ourselves and our creativity is internally based and not reliant on public visibility or on the opinions of others.

Even though success is seldom a guarantee, that lack of certainty should not present an obstacle to continuing along the creative path or paths we have chosen. Even more than public recognition (which at times, can be self-affirming) truly creative people derive joy and satisfaction from doing work that is meaningful to them – work that is fulfilling and often, in fact, a calling.

All too often, there is confusion about whose image is best, rather than  about being excellent at what we do and creating something of substance. The heady joy experienced by Spunktaneous of THE WORLD OF GLIMPSE, when “chosen”, is spontaneous and infectious, and understandable for someone who has still much to learn. Eventually, he will mature into realizing that true creative quality is not about impressing others. Instead, it is about perfecting what we do, being self-challenging and committed to improvement. Being valuable is far more important than being visible.