VINCENT’S PERSEVERANCE.

 

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most influential painters of all time, you would have to have lived in a very dark cave with no Wi-Fi to have never heard of him or seen one of his paintings, yet he suffered from crippling self-doubt about his artwork. Throughout his life, he faced many rejections and criticisms that led him to a sense of deep insecurity regarding his talent as an artist. Most of us are equally filled with this same doubt when faced with criticism or obstacles. 

There were times when doubt filled him up to the point it became overwhelming, leading him to destroy some works or give them away for free due to a lack of confidence in their worthiness as art. Many of his works were lost. Despite this adversity, Van Gogh continued to create, often focusing on the beauty found in nature and everyday life; he had moments where he felt confident with his creations, though he never gained fame or financial success during his lifetime. Even with these struggles, he painted what is recognised today as some of the most iconic masterpieces in history without ever truly being appreciated by those around him, constantly facing critics and rejection. He supposedly only sold one painting in his lifetime despite creating well over 2000! Van Gogh's passion and resilience is something we can all admire and learn from today. Creating beautiful works out of adversity is no easy feat, except with sheer determination and dedication, you can achieve almost anything. We should never forget how important perseverance is when facing challenges and overcoming inner doubts about our abilities. Just like Vincent, we will no doubt be our own loudest critic. We usually have a love, hate relationship with what we achieve, but the real key to success is to keep going. If you enjoy creating, do it regardless of whether the next Van Gogh or just like watercolour painting down the local community centre. Rise above the doubts (whether your own or someone else) If you have passion for what you do, enjoy the process regardless of the outcome. That is where real success lies. You need to enjoy it even if no one else seems to. Maybe you just have not found your audience yet. Nothing is sadder than giving up on a passion because you do not think you are good enough. Thankfully Vincent’s passion kept him painting. Whether you are a fan or not, you can not help but admire his perseverance and commitment to his art, though it was not always a happy relationship. We will not all achieve success, but it is important to stay creative and be inspired along the way, and hopefully enjoy it more than Vincent did!