Patience is not my forte.
Though it seems like I can handle certain things with an even-temper, I’m a far cry from the model of angelic patience.
Since patience doesn’t get me through to the end of my projects, the secret sauce is actually passion. Passion helps me through the tough times of designer’s block, non-constructive criticism, and my own self doubt.
I love my job and what I do. There are days where I ask, is this really worth it? Am I learning anything else? Do I even want to redo this design and get the same lackluster response? Am I really any good or are people just being nice because they currently need me, while wishing for someone better?
Sometimes, I say, “I just have to get through this and then I’ll move on.”
But I always feel guilty afterwards. It could always be worse and then I remember, I have worked so hard to get to this point. Most importantly, art and design are things I enjoy! Who else can say that they are working in a field they’ve wanted, trained for, and dreamed of?
Patience can only buy you time but it won’t always buy you happiness. Maybe a peace of mind.
Passion will buy you sweat, tears, and pain, but also extreme joy and pride. The reward to anything great comes with great risk and believing in it and throwing your entire passionate drive into it, could create wonderful things.