Van Gogh painted about 2000 works of art which is worth millions of dollars today. Yet he was only not able to sell a piece of art during his time.
Edgar Allan Poe introduced to the world, a new form of writing and theme which we now know as detective stories and is so praised in the literature world today. Yet Edgar was never recognized nor was he compensated fairly during his time.
Galileo is known as the father of modern physics and is adored by many today for his great theories. Yet during his time, his theories were thought to be full of heresy and were hardly accepted due to religious beliefs.
“Dearest Max, my last request; Everything I leave behind me..in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters, sketches, and so on is to be burned unread”. These were the words of Kafka Franz whose writing did not get any attention until years after his death. Thanks to his friend who did not heed such a request, today his work lives in a museum in Prague, Czech republic.
No One Appreciates Your Work
What do these men have in common? In as much as their work continues to be adored and worth so much millions; during their time, no one valued or cared about their work until they sadly passed away.
These stories aren’t just timelines on the history pages, they reveal an interesting fact. In fact, I believe you are facing such a situation yourself.
You have created a masterpiece that is sure to help a lot of people. You have crafted something so grand that it should help the world out of its misery.
You probably should be given an award for your work because it is one of a kind. Yet no one appreciates your work. Some even think it is useless and irrelevant.
So what do you do when people don’t appreciate your work? Do you patiently wait till you die and hope that people will get to know and value your work or do you quit and give up because your work isn’t relevant? What is the next step to take?
You are not a Loser
First, be aware that you are not a loser. Just because people don’t like your work doesn’t mean that it is irrelevant.
The most memorable creations are rarely comprehended by the masses — at first. This is what makes good art. It exceeds our expectations and sometimes offends our sensibilities. Jeff Goins
I can agree with this statement but the problem is that you don’t want to wait till you die before people will appreciate your work. So what can you do?
What is Your Cause?
You need to remind yourself why you started this cause in the first place. Is your work meant to get people’s attention, to solve a problem, or to show off your genius?
If your work is meant to get people’s attention or show off your genius, then you need to think of ways of keeping people’s attention because it doesn’t last long. You need to think like an entertainer or look for crazy ideas that will keep people glued to your work.
If on other hand your work is meant to solve a problem then on the next point.
Care For People First; Solve their Problems
People don’t appreciate your work because they don’t understand it and have not yet come to terms with what it can do for them. This is the reason why it sometimes can take so long before one’s work is accepted.
There is a mindset shared by everyone which “What is in it for me” and If you can’t take advantage of such a mindset, then you are In for a journey. The good news is that your work doesn’t have to suffer rejection as long as you can show people how much it can solve their problems.
You need to find ways to add value and not create mediocre work that contributes to status quo.
Share Your Opinion
There is no one size fit solution to this issue which is why I need your thoughts about this issue. What can one whose work isn’t appreciated do? Please share your opinion and comment below.
