It’s a strange concept. Failure.

What does it mean to fail at something? It’s even more obscure as a creative person, as a working artist. The longer you devote yourself to your craft, and decide that it’s worth your life’s pursuit, the more obstacles and challenges you’ll face.

In being a professional artist, many of us make the mistake of assuming, because a painting didn’t sell it isn’t good. Or because you didn’t make a certain amount of money this month, you’ve failed.

We have to overcome this fear of failure if we’re going to survive as creatives.

Lately, I’ve been having a very successful time here in Abu Dhabi selling my original paintings, connecting with more artists online and in person, and even being featured in The National‘s Art Blog. It’s really made me think about what success would me to me as an artist. My dreamy-colorful-art life would look something like this:

1. Having the courage, audacity, and strength to create beautiful, authentic, and moving works of art everyday.
2. Having a lifetime supply of family, friends and followers who support me on my art journey and believe in my work.
3. Sharing my knowledge and experience with others in the form of workshops and classes regularly.
4. Having a solid relationship with interior designers and art dealers as in love with abstract art as I am.
5. Successfully operating my very own sustainable and prosperous art business.

I pray to God these things happen for me, and so I challenge myself everyday to work towards these goals because I know it won’t happen by wishful thinking. But say I accomplish this? Say it works out. Then what? Do I stop creating. Do I relax?

I want to share with you guys this very awesome Ted Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert (who, by the way, gives amazing Ted Talks) on how our Creativity must survive its own success. Very powerful concept, and very inspiring speech for anyone out there trying to do anything.