Why Bother?

Vincent Van Gogh, Lawrence Kolhberg, Ludwig Boltzmann, James Dean, Galileo, Emily Dickinson, El Greco, Edgar Allen Poe, and many others. What do they have in common? They all achieved success and recognition after their deaths. 

Van Gogh never sold a painting in his life. Today, they are worth millions. 

Ludwig Boltzmann discovered his famous second law, of thermodynamics, also known as the law of entropy. He committed suicide while on vacation after scientists rejected his theories. Today, the Boltzmann Equations serve as a foundational basis of science.

Lawrence Kolhberg, a professor of ethics at Harvard, walked into the ocean after Carol Gilligan refuted his theory of moral and ethical development. Her replicated research demonstrated that Kolhberg’s theories weren’t applicable to women, only to men. His body was found near the end of a runway at Logan Airport. Today, every psychology student knows of Kolhberg’s theories.

The point I want to make is that success may not always come in our lifetime. I am a writer; I am an educator. I love writing my stories and articles. I also know many other writers who are indie (independent) writers. We all love the craft of composing a well-written story or essay. We love expressing our ideas. Will any of us make the New York Times best seller list. Most likely, not. Yet we write anyway. 

Most of us indies hate marketing. Yet marketing is usually necessary to achieve financial and recognitional success. So the question that occupies my mind is “why?” Why  engage in an activity like marketing that we hate? The answer (for me) is that engaging in activities that take the joy out of our lives is a waste of time and energy. 

Recognition may or may not come in this lifetime. It may never come. Pursuing something that is as fickle and elusive as fame and fortune is frustrating and depressing; that way lies madness. Why not spend our few short years following our joy and ignoring the things that we hate? Ignore marketing; ignore seeking to make the NYTs best seller list. If we, against all odds, achieve fame and fortune, great! If not, at least our time and energy are spent in more fulfilling, joyful and productive ways. 

Perhaps Joseph Campbell was right when he said, “Follow your bliss.”