From the Inspirational Thought Unit
I think the worst thing you can do as an artist is day trade in your creativity. You know, it's where you measure your success by how well you did each day.
Studies have shown that 95% of people who day trade stocks lose money in the long run. They're so focused on day-to-day fluctuations of the market that they lose sight of the bigger picture and don't notice whether their decisions are trending down or up.
The smartest investors are the ones who make consistent deposits in a portfolio of stocks, and then forget about it. Only checking once a quarter, every six months, or annually. If something didn't perform as well as they liked, they make adjustments.
Whether they are up or down on any given day doesn't concern them. It's the trajectory that matters.
It's the same for people who create. By only paying attention to whether you're having a bad day or a good day, a productive day, or a slacker day, you might lose sight of the bigger picture.
Instead, make consistent creative deposits and forget about it. Whether you made something amazing or forgettable today isn't important. What's really matters is that you showed up and did something.
Then, each quarter, six month mark, or annually take stock of your trajectory. Did you finish X amount of projects? Do the drawings you make now look better than the drawings you made last year? Are you landing the jobs that fit your skillset?
Whether they are up or down on any given day shouldn't concern you. It's the trajectory that matters.
-Jake