Happily Not “Successful”
I’m 22; an age that seems kinda old to everyone 18 and under and most-definitely young to everybody else. I feel time passing more than ever as I meet 19 year olds who remind me of my younger self. I’m not her anymore.
At 22, it’s tempting to feel like I should have it all figured out. I’ve finished uni and other kids (or adults, really) my age are succeeding in their careers and making lots of money or getting engaged or having babies or travelling the world etc etc etc. I am not doing any of this (apart from the little bits of travelling I can afford); but god, I’m having fun.
This morning I was listening to Hugh Van Cuelenberg’s ‘How I Built Dis’ episode of The Imperfects, which is my absolute favourite Podcast. He described in detail the beginnings of The Resilience Project, which has come to be a hugely successful, multi-faceted wellbeing organisation. Hearing Hugh tell the story of his card declining as he tried to buy a coffee as a 31 year old while starting this company was even more comforting than I anticipated. I look at him now and see success, but without all of the little “failures”, he wouldn’t have become the humble, insightful person he is (or at least seems to be; I don’t know him personally).
Sometimes people tell me to “keep going”. I’m sure they mean well, but it always feels like a backhanded compliment. What makes you think I would ever stop? I have been an artist forever and I’m not sure how to exist any other way. So yes, I will keep going, and I don’t know if it will take one year or 10 years or 50 to be able to make enough money to do this full-time, or to have a bigger impact on the world, but I also don’t really care.
Right now I don’t wish I was working full-time or getting engaged or having babies; there will be time for all of that later. For now, I’ll keep going to the pub and playing pool with the boys and working nights and getting Yogurberry with the girls and having weekends away drinking good wine with my family. And, of course, I’ll keep creating.
xx Rose
