Today has been a rough day. My dreams of working as an artist are slow moving. It's odd but, honestly, I wish there was some sort of fast track. I have the talent and experience. I need the opportunity.
This morning my day started with this ad titled, 'Learn how to make money doing what you love to do!' I had seen these a million times before and reacted the hopeful way a person does when they buy a lottery ticket. All of the amazing things that you will do with all that money flash in front of your eyes. People that market that garbage know that is how you will react.
Long story short, I watched the video ad that never disclosed what product you would sell but guaranteed you would be making huge comissions within weeks. There were three testimonials. I think this is some sort of standard for these kinds of ads. All of them seemed phony.
I caught myself talking back to the ad with, 'Yeah, right' or 'Oh, you are going to discount the price you are going to charge me to make money?' Then, I started getting frustrated - then, angry. I let my reaction of this video dictate my entire day.
To make matters worse, I started setting up my Shopify Store today as an effort to be able to have my artwork on many platforms. While trying to learn I had another ad pop up on Instagram telling me, 'Learn how to set up your Shopify Store and make real money.' Hell yes. That's what I came here to do.
I started watching the live webinar and started getting more frustrated. The gentleman conducting this 'live' webinar was faceless and never appeared in the video. The best part... This was an ad to start 'Dropshipping' products to consumers from China. There has to be something said for someone that creates their own products, right? Needless to say, this video was my last straw. Almost two hours of my day were completely wasted. Then, I started to see the silver lining.
I didn't waste two hours of my time. I learned a valuable lesson: If I'm going to make money doing what I love, it won't be easy and there is no video or manual that is going to show me how to do it. See, this journey is mapped only by me.
Is it frustrating to know that I have done everything that I was supposed to set myself for a great future and still don't have this amazing success story to share with you? Yes.
Does it feel good to know that there are people that would completely buy and LOVE my art but I just haven't found them yet? No.
Is all of the discouragement of this long boring highway in the middle of my journey going to keep me from working? Most certainly not.
While, yes, today was a bump in the road. I have went over it and survived. Not only did I survive and stick to routine, I learned a valuable lesson today. The journey is long. The roads sometimes have no scenic view for distraction. And, sometimes, it rains. The clouds do go away and the view becomes clean and clear again. Regardless if the reward comes or not, I have to keep working because it is who I am that is driving me.
So, with that said, today was a win.
Photo: Jeremy Eaton