Dear Artists,

I know sometimes it feels like you’re creating in vain. Wanting to get noticed not for the fame but to do what you love without worrying about monetary gain…

Your friends and family may not understand the path you’ve chosen to take. The path that most are afraid to venture into. The path of uncertainty.

Whether you’re a singer, dancer, actor, filmmaker, painter or musician, choosing to pursue your God given dream is the scariest most vulnerable and bravest thing anyone can do. The fact that you’ve chosen to live your life free from ordinariness, is something not everyone is built for. At times it may seem like others around you are prospering while you’re stuck struggling trying to make your dreams a reality.

As an artist, there is no such thing as instant gratification. Artists invest time and money into their dream in the hopes that one day it’ll all pay off and that they’ll receive the right opportunity at the right time.

What stops most people from living out their dreams is fear…the fear of being broke.

See, the difference between artists and non artists is that a dream is the driving force behind everything an artists does. For non artists, that driving force is money and the “security” it provides.

As an artist, I face a glimmer of uncertainty everyday. I ask myself “why am I doing this?” “is it worth it?” “when I am going to see the fruits of my labor?” At times I feel invisible like I’m putting out content but no one can see it. It all seems pointless sometimes to the point where I consider trading in the life of an artist for a monotonous path of certainty and “security”.

But every time I seem to have reached my breaking point, I dream. I dream about the outcome. I dream about getting through the struggle “in-between phase”. I dream about showcasing my talent for all the world to see. I dream about helping others push forward to achieve their dreams.

My dreams recharge my batteries, so to speak. They cleanse me from the negativity and self doubt that I allowed to creep into my heart. They remind me that the process is part of the dream because it builds character and prepares me for what God has prepared for me.

Artists, no matter how weak and insignificant you may be feeling right now, remember that you’re “living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”

Xo,

Shiloh