To pivot or to persevere?  Or more bluntly – to give up or to not to give up?  This is a haunting question, a question that have ramifications far after an answer has been choose and it’s also a question that almost everyone in our community has had to face at one time or another.  How do you know when to give up and when to keep trying?

Veronica Bellocci | Education Coordinator

With more work experience you become familiar with who you are, what you can accomplish and where your limitations lie.Therefore you become aware when you no longer feel challenged or there is no room for growth. Or the company is no longer heading in the same direction you wish to go in. Read more>>

Angelica Navarra | Hairstylist and Make-up Artist

This is actually a question I have asked myself a lot. It can be approached in so many different ways and each person may have a different answer however, I believe the answer is simple and universal. Happiness. Is what you’re trying to achieve going to make you happy? Will you regret giving up? Is this truly something that you want? If you take the time to ask yourself these difficult questions, the answer will become quite clear. In the end it boils down to your happiness. Read more>>

Michael Carini | Starving Artist

This is a battle I have faced my entire life. I do what I do because it is my calling. It is what I was put on this earth to do. Even at the deepest and darkest times in my life when I am completely lost, this still rings true. At my absolute lowest I have to remind myself that lost is always just a step away from found and that if I’m going to fall or fail, it will be going after everything I have ever dreamed of. I also have to remind myself that sometimes just holding on is progress. That doesn’t mean I don’t have days I want to give up, because I have a lot…far more than I would hope for anyone else to ever have. Read more>>

Anne Richardson | Author and Spiritual Director

A huge lesson I have learned is to not give up. I longed to be a writer for years but I lacked confidence in myself. When I was in my mid-thirties (1998), I dreamed of being a travel writer. My uncle was a retired travel writer and he gave me all kinds of tips. So my family and I set off for Yosemite. I wrote an article, along with pictures, of various sites to see and adventures to take. I sent it to many magazines and waited for their reply. Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. So I quit. Fast forward to 2019. Read more>>

Chari Davis | Owner and Founder of Wolf Feather Honey Interiors, Wolf Feather Honey Farm and The Jackson Pearl: A Gathering Place

To give up on something is complete abandonment of hopes and dreams, of work and passion, and no one should ever surrender their hope. When times get tough, and in life, they always will at some point, its so important to prioritize the important things in your life. If you find that what you’ve been aiming or laboring for isn’t getting you where you dream of being, or isn’t bringing you the success and happiness you deserve, then take a good hard look at what it is you want, and correct course in your life to make that happen. It’s ok to change paths, to take different roads, to make a 180 in your life and choose to go a different direction, just make sure that your consistently upgrading and heading for that which your soul truly desires. Read more>>

Britton Neubacher | Artist

Spending so much time with plants has changed how i grok success and failure, beginnings and endings. nothing is wasted in nature; the demise of one thing feeds the life of another. when my work, or the response to my work, feels lifeless, i can trust that this “breakdown” will become fecund compost for the next thing. my real work is to not be attached to the product nor to perfecting the process behind it; just keep on making and don’t look back. i like knowing that we’re all connected in this curious continuum of creation and re-creation, where a thing is a thing until it becomes something else. Read more>>

Vicky Sasouvong | Beauty and fashion creator

It’s so so easy to just say you know what, this isn’t for me…. or, I can’t make it that far like how this person did. There’s so many things you can say to give up but holding on to your dream and working towards your goals every single day takes so much strength and courage! It sounds so cliché but it’s so true! I won’t sit here and say I haven’t felt discouraged some days! And I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been so hard! But I feel deep in my soul that I’m supposed to be living my dream and even though I’m not quite there yet, I know the outcome is going to be well worth it! Read more>>

Durba Sen | Artist and Art Teacher

This is a seemingly easy question but requires quite a bit of reflection! For every artist, entrepreneur or small business owner – we start with a vision; a vision to create, solve problems or address a need. There is usually a road map, partial or complete, an idea as to what we want to achieve. But each and every one of them will tell you that everything they have thought or planned does not come to fruition, or works out as planned! There are roadblocks and hurdles, some not within our control. As an artist, these hurdles are numerous and varied. Read more>>