1+1: Redefining success + Immerse yourself in art

Here's one leadership idea and one resource I’ve found beneficial in the past two weeks:

1 idea: Redefining success

In 1853, an artist you’ve never heard of was born in a backwater town in Western Europe. After failing multiple times to become a minister like his father, the 27-year-old decided to take up painting. Without any formal training in the medium, he dove headlong into it. 

For years, he painted furiously but sold nothing. Money was in such short supply that he re-used his own canvasses, painting over old work. He could not afford to pay professional models to sit for paintings, so he painted self-portraits instead. Finally, after a decade of poverty, heartbreak, and mental illness, the tortured artist took his own life—having only sold a single painting in his entire career. He was 37.

I said you’ve never heard of this artist—and that would be true if you grew up in the U.S. in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Because during his lifetime and for 40 years after his death, virtually no one in America knew of him.

But in 1934, an American found the artist’s extensive letters to his brother and used them to write a novel about his life. It turned into a surprise bestseller. A year later, a museum hosted the first solo exhibition of his work in the States. His work exploded in popularity from that moment forward and hasn't slackened since.

Indeed, Vincent van Gogh is now one of the best-selling painters of all time. In 1998, one of his budget-friendly self-portraits sold for $72 million. His renderings of sunflowers continue to captivate imaginations today. And despite the lack of success in his lifetime, van Gogh produced relentlessly up until his death—averaging a new painting every 36 hours in the ten years of his career. (He painted “The Starry Night” while living in a mental asylum.)

The story inspires me--and gives me hope that in a hundred years, people will discover I was actually hilarious. But more than that, it challenges me. It makes me wonder: if I were van Gogh and had only ever sold one painting, how long would I persist in my craft?

If Van Gogh would have measured his success in terms of lifetime earnings or worldwide fame, he no doubt would have believed it to be an abysmal disappointment. But if he could instead find enjoyment in the mastery of his craft or see how he was contributing to the arc of history, his life would feel much more purposeful. 

In our fame-obsessed world, we’d do well to remember that true success looks a lot more like faithfulness: responding to emails, loving our aging parents, wiping toddler bums, and painting canvases no one may ever see. These greater purposes (Humbler Leadership pillar #4) anchor and enrich our lives, giving meaning to the mundane. 

In short, how and why you do your work matters much more than how many you do it for.

***

• Where have you chased after a false definition of success?

• How could you find greater joy in simple faithfulness?

• How would enjoying your daily work change your life?

1 resource: Immerse yourself in art

Pausing to take in beauty—even in the middle of a workday—resets your soul. One way I like to do that is by looking at art. For a beautiful, high-resolution tour of van Gogh’s work, check out these amazing photographs of his paintings.

PS: Is it technically a sculpture if it moves?