Success

In response to Persist: The Blog's question, What Does Success Mean to You, Lori Agostino writes:

I have a love/hate relationship with the word success. On one hand, I haven't a clear picture of what success is (as defined by society) and yet, when I think about how it pertains to my life, I "feel" very successful. But if I think about what society, or what I believe society thinks is success, I fall far short from our society's standards. Somehow I can't really separate this in my head though, and perhaps that is where I should leave the definition to stay, and rather keep in tune with how I "feel" about it.

I FEEL success comes from moments in time, that weave together to tell my story. An honesty of my creative process shared or alone.

Since I work in film as an art director and also paint, I find my time fragmented by a grueling schedule that sometimes leaves me wanting for that connection that only happens in my studio painting, and yet at times while working on a film there are moments of a whole art dept. working in concert to create something great, it's rare but it happens. If I am able to weave these times together, I feel successful. It's a continuity of my creative vision that comes to fruition, that I can celebrate, whether together with a crew or by myself in my studio.

In the old days, well in those days that I spent most of my life ALONE working in my studio, I believed that I was only capable of that "feeling" when I was searching, deeply alone in my process...through time, I have come to realize that working with others is just as meaningful creatively. An A-ha moment, success! to have shed my preconceived idea of creation, to trust my process enough to actually share it with others as something of value (another successful moment) and to realize that most importantly, expression is the key to this success. I have opened the doors of my studio (a sacred space to me) and shared the PROCESS, not just the outcome...that is success to me!

Hopefully I am clear in trying to describe this "feeling", a very successful feeling.

pax.lori

And Michel Bilakowsi writes:

In a world driven by cash accumulation, one might conclude that success could only be measured with currencies or wealth appearances.

Being creative is to me chiefly being controversial and based on the fact that Today's utopias are somewhat tomorrow's reality.

So success maybe when your peers want to be you: they like your freedom, your free spirit, your will to speak up.

You, or your work, is looked at with adoration. Finding the righteous word to end a book, mixing pigments to the perfect red,...

Or, success is when you're isolated from the gregarious crowds yelling the same cry when you deeply know your move is the good one.

Waching the clock turning slowly and not being afraid of boredom to come is perhaps the very significant sign of success.

Establishing a reference is nothing else than that: succeed to beam you away from time.

(PERSIST adds: Your comments are welcome. Indeed, solicited!)