Hard Work

Hard work and I have had a tumultuous relationship because hard work, is basically a relationship that you have with yourself. My friend Minna said to me that a lecturer said to her that artistic careers take a long time to develop and to establish themselves. God, it's true. God, god, god she's right and her lecturer has obviously been through the hard yards to be able to say that with the credibility that he/she has. I have had issues defining exactly what ' hard work ' means. How do you define ' hard work '? My friend Bianca defines it as persistence - mainly persisting in attempts to achieve something despite many failed attempts. My mother defines hard work as being patient and strong despite the pain that we all go through when we want something so bad that it hurts. They're both right. We're all right actually, because there's no RIGHT definition of what hard work is. To me as a writer still warming up in their career, hard work is basically all about persistence and having to do that one thing which is SO Hard. Bugging people. This includes emails asking " Hey did you get that draft i sent? " Or " Hey, are there any availabilities NOW? ". I hate doing this because i feel like i'm this annoying gnat that no one wants to deal with. On the other hand, it could mean the difference between an opportunity gained and one lost. 

Hard work to me, is about having part of your spirit crushed. Not crushed entirely but crushed enough to the point where you are no longer idealistic about success and most of all - you don't believe that you always get out what you put in. I feel that younger people are less prepared for the realities of the world ( as they would be, though ). They think that you always get out what you put in. Perhaps it's just me being overly pessimistic but rarely is this ever a guarantee. It can sometimes go favorably though. You can put in a little and get out A LOT ( a la Kim Kardashian ). I read a quote from Tumblr ages ago that the things that hurt are the things that matter and i really, really resonate with that. Looking back, everything that's ever been hard and crappy has amounted to some sort of experience that has served me for the better in the future. Maybe that's what hard work is. Going through hard times and being able to survive with something to show for it.

Give me advice, how can i work harder?