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You are here: Home / Wise Words / How to Find Endless Satisfaction in Your Creative Life

How to Find Endless Satisfaction in Your Creative Life

May 22, 2014 by Steven Sparling Leave a Comment

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There’s a point to what Leon Golub is saying: you need to have realistic expectations out of life.

I know I preach about being a Thriving Creative. But part of Thriving is knowing when to acknowledge that the glass if half full instead of half empty.

TV programmes, glossy magazines, and self-aggrandising blogs want you to believe that some artists have EVERYTHING and then some!

It’s not true!

For the sake of your sanity, your art and your happiness learn to recognise PR fluff when you see it.

No one has it all.

No one.

No one.

Not even that person that you just thought about.

Nope.

Nada.

Uhn huh. Niet. Non. No.

They don’t. They want you to think they do, but they don’t.

You probably have more to be happy about in your life than they do. The only difference is that they have a publicist putting out puff and you don’t.

So recognise that you have it pretty damn good. You’re creative.  You are an artist. You make stuff. Or do cool stuff. Or have interesting ideas.

That’s more than huge swathes of the population.

So consider yourself lucky. And get to work sharing your wonderful, amazing skills with the world.

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Recent Posts

  • The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 2 – Patience
  • The Mindful Freelancer: Nine Attitudes for Thriving in the Creative Economy – Part 1 – Non-Judging
  • Pivoting When You Don’t Know Where the Other Foot is Going to Land
  • Help! My Child Wants to Go Into The Arts
  • Confidence Doesn’t Exist. Quit Chasing It.

Sign up to learn up the upcoming launch of my book The Thriving Creative

My book, The Thriving Creative: Successful Freelancing in the Creative Economy launches in March 2026. Sign up for special launch events and discount codes!

We respect your privacy and your details will never be shared.

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