Consistency

I have always dreamt of being a successful writer; the readers of this blog are free to assume a wholly mainstream meaning of success here, if not stated otherwise.

Along with a lot of other small dreams and goals, this one has always been an important part of the little list of things that I want to accomplish in my life. It would be dishonest of me to say that I only aspire to be a good writer, or a famous one at that. I have seen excellent writers remaining unknown to the masses and the ones who are distant away from this art (as per my humble judgement, which is obviously not binding to anyone), doing commercial wonders and creating a buzz at the top-selling charts.

I did not intend to have a disappointing beginning to my blog but all of us know that well-packaged mediocrity has an equally big consumption market. So should we strive for mediocrity that looks fancy?

It depends on your goals. Passionate effort is put as a sign of respect for your art. Scientists who devote their life to prove their hypothesis, do not spend those hours tirelessly at their research only for it to be refuted by their fellow researchers. They are not doing it for basking in temporary glory. A writer will find it a bigger achievement if their words live on in the lives of people rather than their books topping the charts for a brief while and then vanishing into oblivion. Of course, a businessman will be happy to see the checks coming in but an artist will derive joy only if her art carries her legacy through the pages of time. Mediocrity cannot yield longevity. 

So how do we get to that?

Consistency.

I have seen far too many geniuses going unrecognized, living an unsatisfactory life only because they gave up too early. Nobody is lucky. Some might have it slightly easier than others but the universe tests everyone's will to want equally. For far too many years, I have dreamt to be a writer but it will be only unfair on my part to expect improvement if I am not putting in the work. It took me a global pandemic in 2020 and months of being locked down at home to realize that the one thing that I claim to be my passion, I could not give enough time to polish my skills at that despite being privileged enough to have a comfortable life at my disposal. At first, this thought was discouraging. I started doubting if this was ever my dream in the first place and if I deserve it at all. I was struggling with self-deprecating thoughts and started believing if I had it in me to be called a writer at all, until I started all over again.

It was the moment when I picked up a pen and paper and started writing down my thoughts. During that moment of acknowledgment of my failure, I realized that I haven't really tried yet. You fail only when you accept your defeat. While writing, I felt that I love it a little too much to let it go. It was my escape from all the other problems I was thinking about and also the solution to them. All that was needed was to be consistent at my end. 

I certainly do not qualify to be a great writer just yet, or even to be a writer at all for that matter but I have decided that I am going to keep at it. I cannot expect improvement if I am not ready to put in the work for that. It is unfair to my art and to all those who toil for hours at end and strive for perfection to just give up and run away from something that I love with all my heart. The whole process of falling, patting away the dust and getting back up to try again is magical. The consistency with which you put in your love for anything that one really wishes to learn, it yields brilliance.

In this life, it is really difficult to find your passion. So when you think you got it, just don't give up.

A little bit of effort everyday.

That is progress; Consistency.