Living your Creative Life: Patience is the Prerequisite

(By Quantal Langford)
Can you stick around long enough to see your work succeed? Do you have enough grit to take a few critical hits and keep going? Or will you get discouraged at the first sign of failure?” - Jeff Goins

If you’re in the creative/entrepreneurial industry. Patience may be the last thing you want to hear. Society dictates that we have to be the first to market or the first to release a new idea, book, design, etc. Many giving up when they don’t see quick results.
 
But what if patience was the main ingredient you needed for your success? Let’s switch your perspective. What if your big vision for your business or creative pursuits became reality? If there was a 100% certainty you will see massive success–how long would you wait for that to transpire? 10 years? 20 years?
 
One of the best teachers that showed me the value of patience was my grandfather. By profession he was an elementary and high school janitor. During the summers he would let me assist him (or make me) go with him to help out with two community gardens he would look over during the summer. Thinking back now he was already grooming me for the things that I share through the Creative Brew podcast and other talks.
 
Patience is needed for a garden. Tilling the soil, planting the seeds, creating the right conditions for those seeds to grow, allowing the gestation of the seeds to take place. Day after day, checking on the seeds, watering, nurturing. All was needed to see the rewards of our labor.
 
You already have the dream, vision and goals in place. Many times what you need is the patience to allow the energy you give out to take hold and gestate before your dream becomes a reality. And the funny part is: You may have a bad year. It may be a year when you want to give up. It’s always wise to know when to pivot. Nothing wrong with that. What I’m referring to is the ideas and passions that keep you up at night. That drives you to keep going forward. Are you willing to take a few bad years to see your success come to fruition?
 
Find any large company. Facebook. Apple. Amazon. Disney. You will find a company that has taken its bumps but they are still driven by such as strong and clear brand vision that they are willing to play the long game to their success.
 
All businesses, ideas, and creative pursuits are like tiny seeds. Are you willing to plant them in the right environment, nurture them, and allow them to root deeply enough for you to take the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and see your vision come to light.
 
 
Quantal Langford is the owner of Langfordesign, a creative services and graphic design studio, based in Oceanside, CA. And the founder of lifestyle brand Just Heart Apparel, and the host of the podcast and radio show The Creative Brew, sharing stories, insights, and tips of creatives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to help the creative/business community.
 
You can follow him on Instagram (@QuantalLangford ), Facebook, and LinkedIn!