My whole life has been dedicated to being a creator. My father and grandfather were architects and artists, and other relatives were fine artists and musicians, so making stuff is in my blood. I drew pictures in grade school and received lots of praise. Then, in high school and college, I learned how to take, as well as give, constructive criticism. My teachers cheered me on, but the ones I remember and are grateful for asked me a lot of tough questions. They forced me to look at myself and my work with a critical eye and make sure I was doing all I could do to strengthen my talent, skills and vision. They pushed me hard, and, in time, I learned how to push myself. And here we are.

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If you want to be a published illustrator, you have to push yourself, too, by creating new work and putting it out there. If you send a postcard or URL to an art director, then sit and wait by the phone or for an email, you will be disappointed. Posting on social media is not enough, either. Other artists hang out there. Art Buyers do, too, but not generally enough to make a career out of it. You have to create your own success and that means generating your own ideas and imagery, flying it up the flagpole, and seeing who salutes…and doing that over and over and over.

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If you want to be a published author, you also have to push yourself by constantly writing and reading. A little bit every day is good, but more is better. It helps exponentially to join a critique group, set a daily page-writing goal and learn how to craft not only stories, but query letters. It is lifestyle choice to be a writer and being submerged in the craft is how you become successful. You have to love reading, writing and revising over and over and over and be willing to dig deep for story and emotions. You will also need an agent to break into the publishing world, and landing one is not easy. If you think you can make it simpler for yourself by self-publishing, that brings its own set of challenges.

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If you want to be a creator and do it all, like me, it will take an extreme amount of pushing, self-reflection, communication and trust. It is hard. You might pitch projects and have editors or producers make offers on them, but you might also get a lot of rejections. Sometimes, when the writing just isn’t working, and the art isn’t either, you may have to take a step back, pop your collar, and reboot, maybe even start over from scratch. In the end, the art and writing has to be cohesive…and it never gets easier. When it all works, it is satisfying.

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Do you have what it takes? Do you have the will to push yourself over and over and over to be better, or do you coast on praise and ease? This industry is more than a hobby or fun thing to do to get “likes.” It’s really hard work. It will call on you to create the best work possible, simplify, and team up with people who aren’t afraid to challenge your ideas or ask you tough questions. That’s been my experience, and many other creators, too.

And speaking of people, let’s remind ourselves that this can’t be done alone. So many individuals have been instrumental to my growth. There is both joy and pain in the creative process, so I need other people—family, friends, colleagues and business partners—and I would guess that you do, too. The love and support of others will be essential to your success as a creator and more importantly, to your growth as a person.

Best wishes, and keep creating.