The Hard Truth: Why Romanticizing Creativity Leads to Failure

You should read this. This is why so many quit too soon.

Jun 26, 2024

Being a content creator of any stripe is often seen through a romantic lens.

A dreamy pursuit of wonder filled with endless inspiration and effortless success.

Many would-be creators come in with this idealized view of a continuous flow of accolades, only needing to work at it one or two days a week, all things coming to them easily.

This idealized view is a significant reason why many aspiring creators quit too soon.

Why?

Because it’s complete bullshit.

Content creation is a fun job, but it’s still a job that requires discipline, responsibility, and resilience if you intend to make it successful.

The myth of effortless creativity.

I’ve seen oh so many beginners enter the creative world expecting it to be a seamless extension of their passion.

They imagine this picture perfect life where inspiration strikes constantly, and the praise is heaped on them by the truck load.

This myth is, of course, perpetuated by social media highlights and success stories that make promises that “YES, you too can be a bazillionaire just like me! It’s quick and easy and you just have to pay me $500 for the secret!”

What they don’t try to sell you is the grind, the work behind the scenes that takes effort, the job. Because who want’s that? I want the secret to being a bazillionaire easily, right?

When the inevitable challenges arise — writer’s block, critical feedback, or slow audience growth — the beginner feels disillusioned and often gives up.

The expectation of constant validation.

Everyone’s a winner. Everyone deserves a trophy. Everyone is number one.

Entire generations have been fed this lie since I was kid. I’m glad I never believed that lie.

Because it conditions you to expect immediate validation.

On top of that, social media has made us accustomed to expect likes, shares, and positive comments almost instantly.

And I don’t even want to talk about what smartphones and text messaging have done to us as a society expecting instant responses, 24/7, every day of the year.

The initial phases of content creation can be lonely and filled with doubt. Unless you are a truly one in a one-hundred million success out the gate, you will not receive constant praise immediately.

And even if you do, there will assuredly be someone that wants to trash talk you and try to take you down a notch or three.

You cannot rely on external validation to measure your success.

Content creation isn’t about instant gratification. It’s about persistence.

If you just build it, no one will come. If you show up every day, and keep building it, they will.

The Reality Check: It’s still a job.

I saw one creator the other day begrudging people who liked to hustle and put in the work to get where they want to be.

She stated that she makes $20K a year and only works a couple of hours a week.

Well, la-di-daaa! You make less than an average burger flipper because you won’t work as hard at your passion as you do at trashing people more successful than you. Fantastic and classy display of your artistry, I must say.

Content creation isn’t all fun and games.

It is, indeed, a fulfilling and enjoyable pursuit, but if you want to make it your job, guess what you need to treat it like?

You guessed it… a job.

Only it’s not a traditional one. You don’t have a boss. You’re the boss.

You don’t have a company telling you where to be, when to be there, when you can take your breaks, or what your project timelines are.

YOU need to set the schedules, meet the deadlines, and consistently produce high-quality work to keep your audience engaged.

There is no skipping the work.

The point is, success at content creation of any kind comes from embracing the grind.

It means showing up every day, even when you don’t feel like it.

It means creating and sticking to a schedule, even when you don’t feel like it.

It means doing the work.

The difference between those who succeed and those who quit comes down to their willingness to keep pushing forward despite any setbacks.

It’s important to treat your creative pursuits with the same seriousness you would any other job.

This includes investing time in learning and improving your skills, seeking feedback, and adapting to changes.

Nothing worth doing is easy, regardless of what the snake-oil salesman or the part timers tell you.

Accountability to yourself.

Being your own boss sounds liberating, but it also means you’re responsible for your success or failure.

To quote Ben Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

This level of accountability can be daunting, but it’s also empowering. You have decided to shape your own path, your own destiny, but that also comes with bearing the full weight of your choices and actions.

You have no one to blame but yourself, and a lot of people don’t like that.

Remember, your commitment to yourself is just as important, if not more important, as any commitment to an employer.

And the rewards are much greater in the long run.

The journey of content creation is filled with ups and downs.

It’s a blend of passion, fun, hard work, and persistence.

Those who succeed are the ones that understand this and still get that it’s a job that requires dedication and responsibility.

By moving beyond the romanticized view of the life of a content creator and embracing the reality of the grind, you can turn your creative dreams into a sustainable and rewarding career.

Stay committed, stay disciplined, and remember the biggest responsibility is to yourself and your creative vision.

If you can do all that, then this life is for you.

If you can’t, I hear they’re hiring at McDonald’s.

You can choose to be the sheep or you can choose to be the shepherd. Which one do you want to be?