SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne shares four reasons even successful artists and talent get tempted to give up on their dream.
Being in a talent in any area of media and entertainment has its ups and downs, highs and lows. There will be moments when you feel like you’re the most talented person in the world and others when you doubt whether you have what it takes to make it. There will even be moments when you feel like you want to quit.
But one myth is that the temptation to quit is only for those who aren’t making it. The reality is even talent with moderate to high levels of success are sometimes tempted to give up on their dream. People who are getting views and streams. People who are getting label meetings. People who have a dedicated fanbase. People who are getting results for their clients. Other people would be happy to have the success you have, but for some reason, it’s not enough for you. Everybody goes through those moments where they consider packing it up and getting a regular job.
Here are four reasons even successful artists and talent get tempted to give up on the dream.
1. The industry sucks sometimes
There’s no other way to put it. It takes a lot of vulnerability to be an artist, content creator or any other kind of talent. You put your heart and soul into something only to have critics and fans crap all over your work. There’s shady people who will try to steal from you―vultures―or people who promise you the world and don’t deliver. There’s also the issue of privacy (or the lack thereof). There are a number of things that come with being in the industry that can discourage even the most successful talent.
Look at Doja Cat, one of the most successful artists in the world, who recently announced she was quitting music after she was accused of putting on a lackluster show in South America. She bounced back, and even won a Grammy, but it shows the temptation to quit can come at any level in the industry.
2. It’s not financially sustainable
This is a given. There comes a time when people start to mature and think about their future―finding someone to settle down with, buying a house, having kids, etc. At first you’re having fun. You’re going on the road with your friends and living your dream, but then there comes a point where having fun isn’t enough. You get to a place I call “the Valley of Decision” where you have to decide whether this expensive hobby can actually become a career (and whether you even want that). Age will do that to you. This is where most people give up.
A few years ago, I decided to take SHIFTER from being a local blog to more of a commercial media outlet. Some people got upset and said we were “going corporate”, but the reality is we needed to. We were in the Valley of Decision where we either needed to make this thing financially sustainable or quit.
I’ve said this in a previous video―if something isn’t financially sustainable, you’ll always be tempted to give up. Financial sustainability is the only way to ensure that you can be in your craft for the long haul. Of course, some people can still decide to quit even though they’re making money through their craft due to some of the other reasons on this list, but making money is still one of the main ways to stay motivated long-term.
3. They’ve reached a plateau
This one is HUGE. You’ve reached a plateau. As human beings, we all have an innate desire for growth. There’s a saying that, “Anything that isn’t growing is dying” and there’s a lot of truth to that.
At any level in your career or business you can get the feeling that you’ve been stuck at a certain level for a long time and aren’t going any higher. Your numbers, views, streams, followers or subscribers aren’t going up (or may even be going down). You’re getting the same opportunities over and over again. You’re being featured on the same media platforms over and over again. At first, it was cool, but now you’re stuck there.
When you’ve reached a certain plateau, it takes a lot of energy (meaning mental and emotional strength) to get to the next level. It’s like a rocket; it uses most of its fuel just trying to get into orbit. At that point, many people realize they either don’t want it bad enough or just don’t have the energy to make another push, and they give up on the dream.
4. You need a new dream
This one is really scary, but maybe you’ve fulfilled your dream and need to find a new one. Maybe you’ve had to admit that the level of success you’ve dreamed of isn’t going to happen for you and you need to pivot, do something new, and start all over again. Reinventing yourself or your dream can be hard, but not if you do the rights things.
If you’re in the Valley of Decision where you’re considering giving up on your dream because it’s not financially sustainable and you need to “get a real job”, you’ve hit a plateau or you need a new dream, hit up SHIFTER to book a consultation before you give up. You’re dream is worth it.
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