Creative Diligence, or How Good Luck Happens
Diligence is the mother of good luck. ~ Benjamin Franklin
Harry Jumps Again by Ian Boyd
I’m lucky. Every day, I get to do what I’m passionate about, which is to write poetry, blog articles, and creative non-fiction. And on a regular basis I’m invited to perform spoken word, and I’m actually paid for it.
But these days, I’ve been particularly lucky in my creative career. I was invited to submit to two publications and my writings were accepted to both. A few people have asked to interview me. A couple of people have asked me to guest blog. Someone wants to possibly do a feature on poetryNprogress, and that’s just a few examples.
I’m not bragging. I’m just telling you: I’m really lucky because I haven’t purposefully sought out any of these opportunities.
Instead, I’ve simply been doing my work—writing every day, occasionally promoting my blog articles, and making meaningful connections with other artists and writers.
Luck and Diligence
Give luck a chance to happen. ~ Tom Kite
So, what exactly is luck?
Well, there’s the poker-hand kind of luck, which requires, as Kenny Rogers suggests, knowing “when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.” The thing about this kind of luck is that it can go either way. You can make a killing or you can lose your shirt.
But the kind of luck I’m talking about happens through perseverance, determination, conscious effort, and paying proper attention to a task by giving it the attention and care required for its successful completion.
In other words, the kind of luck I’m talking about ensues from diligence in our creative work.
How Good Luck Happens
I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. ~ Oprah Winfrey
Creative luck happens when we’re diligent and thus prepared for creative opportunities.
And it doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. You have to create a context for good luck.
Sure, you can be like Emily Dickinson and write amazing poetry in obscurity until after your death when someone finds your scribbles in a dresser drawer and finally you become memorialized as a poetic genius.
But if you want creative success in this lifetime, then you’re going to have to create a context for good luck by putting yourself out there and taking some personal and creative risks. In other words, you need to find ways to share your creative work with others.
Also, to be lucky through diligence, you need to build relationships with others.
Connections with other people are fundamental to creative success. In the art world, almost everything is driven by interpersonal and professional connections. So, if you want a little luck to happen, then you’ll need to build relationships with people who can offer, either directly or indirectly, opportunities for creative success.
Finally, good luck through diligence happens when you build experience and professionalism. No way would I ever get a gig if I hadn’t proven myself time and time again as an experienced and professional spoken word artist.
How Diligence Happens
What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence. ~ Samuel Johnson
As important as diligence is to one’s creative good luck, it’s not about perfectionism. Rather, it’s about not letting failure get in your way.
Diligent people know that sometimes no matter how hard you work, you may not get that gig you wanted or have your writing accepted for publication.
Creative diligence doesn’t always lead directly to good luck.
But in my experience, I’ve found that it pays to simply continue to be diligent and to continue to write and to do my work. With every rejection or missed opportunity, another creative opportunity is right around the corner, sometimes emerging just when I’m ready to give up.
Try a Little Faith
Patience and diligence, like faith, remove mountains. ~ William Penn
And when I think all my hard work has been a huge waste of time, that’s when patience and faith become absolutely necessary—faith in doing the work, faith in the creative process, faith in one’s talents, and ultimately the deep belief that with patient diligence comes good luck.
But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. Try being diligent in your work, look for opportunities, have some faith, and discover just how lucky you are.
When have you experienced luck in your creative career?
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Flickr photo courtesy of Ian Boyd
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Hi Ami. I have the perfect example of not giving up. I tried for 20 years to get into an art center here, got rejected lots and just kept on going. I did many other things along the way. I started an MLM business(which was a failure after 7 years of hard work and which was the perfect way for me to learn about business) cleaned houses, etc. I even cleaned the studio I am in now! I got a job gallery sitting at the art center, got to know folks, saw how things worked. I lived in a small house with no real place to work, so I drew and did oil pastels on my lap.
One day a friend called from Arizona who had made it as an artist. As the USA editor of an international arts magazine, she had decided to write an article about abstract art and remembered the strange pencil drawings I used to make when she lived nearby. She asked me to send her some—of course I did!. Well, I got into those drawings and went wild. Eventually, I realised they were good enough to get me into the art center. AND THEY DID!
I am now teaching art at the center and painting BIG oils that I could never have done at home. Guess what I teach my students—-never quit on a painting. Let it go to chaos and then bring it back as many times as you need to until you love it. Just like in life, each failure is the underpainting and adds to the richness and beauty of the final product. I feel the same way about the revision of poetry. I love to play with whatever comes to me. I turn it inside-out, up-side down and let it evolve into whatever it will be. That’s the fun for me!
I didn’t start my art career until I was 53. But, really, I atarted it long ago—just took nearly a lifetime to appear as a legitimate art career. This whole structure that is my present-day creative life is built on many failures and rejections. That is what I really want to pass on to my students.
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Ami Mattison Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 6:05 am
What an amazing story about perseverance, Jean! Many artists give up before they’re able to actualize their creative careers, and your story highlights how perseverance, faith, and simply doing the work leads to amazing and fulfilling rewards. Your students are lucky to have a teacher who understands, first-hand, the power of diligence in the face of rejection. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your experiences. It’s very inspiring and a lesson that I will remember for my own creative efforts!
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I concur, Ami. I recently experienced an opportunity related to my art licensing business that came about simply because I attended an unrelated event and had a chance to talk about what I do.
I particularly like your phrase “creative diligence”. It is so apt a description for what becoming any stripe of artist.
Maureen´s last [type] ..Monday Muse- Alaskas State Writer Laureate
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Ami Mattison Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 6:11 am
Isn’t interesting, Maureen, how serendipitous opportunities and good fortune can be? Sometimes, just being in the right place at the right time can offer enormous rewards. And it sounds like your professionalism and preparedness played an important role in your good fortune. Good luck with that opportunity!
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I love this topic. In all things, I think luck can be ‘helped’ along by diligence – and being open to opportunity. While I don’t make money writing, the opportunities to learn and grow as a writer increased once I started taking myself more seriously, DOING the writing, and looking out for opportunities. (sometimes ‘looking for opportunities’ actually means creating my own opportunities
) As a result, I have had a few pieces published, I’ve joined a critique group, I’ve connected with other writers and artists, and (I think) my writing has improved. I feel pretty lucky.
Ami´s last [type] ..Facing my fear – at last- victory
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Ami Mattison Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 6:16 am
Ami, you are so right that sometimes we must create opportunities for ourselves, and it all begins by taking ourselves seriously as artists. It sounds like your diligence and can-do attitude have paid off in significant ways. And I love that you “feel pretty lucky.” You’re positive attitude is infectious and makes me happy! Thank you!
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At what stage do you actually ask people for money?
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Ami Mattison Reply:
August 8th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Geoff, I’m uncertain how your question relates to this particular article. However, as an attempt to explain to you and to others how you earn money on writing and performing spoken word, I’ll offer some basics.
If you want a writing-related job, then you’ll need to be able to offer experienced and professional services (via education/training and/or by developing “clips” or samples of your writing). Once you have experience in writing in a particular field (e.g. journalism, technical writing, editing/proofreading, copywriting, etc.), then you’ll be in a position to earn money.
If you want to earn money in spoken word, the same premise applies. You need to build an experienced and professional reputation (via non-paying spoken word gigs and/or by participating in the national slam scene). From my own experience, I began to earn money when people started inviting me to do gigs, and those invitations were based on features at local open mics and in art festivals that I’d submitted to.
The final way you can earn money via writing and performance is to create professional products, such as books and CDs. You can begin this process through self-publishing books or through self-producing CDs and DVDs.
Hope that begins to answer your question. If not, then please clarify with a more specific question. Good luck!
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