Pondering the link between success and happiness
“For me, I think there is a little pressure that comes with turning 30. It’s a pretty big milestone. It’s like, you think you’d have your life figured out by now. When I was a teenager, I did imagine that I would have it figured out by this age. But I don’t. I feel like I’m just kind of winging it, working a security job and just now getting serious about making it as an artist.
“I read something recently that said success doesn’t automatically make you happy. I never thought about it that way, but it’s probably true. Don’t get me wrong. I’d like to become successful as an artist, have people appreciate my work and make a name for myself. But putting that pressure on myself to be successful, maybe that doesn’t necessarily mean I will be happy in that moment. Or that I will continue being happy for the rest of my life. It’s just success. It’s a separate thing from happiness or sadness or whatever. So I’m trying not to associate success with being happy. Because I think generally, every day, I’m a pretty happy person. I live my life and try to enjoy it as best as possible.
“We’re all going to die one day. Successful or not, it’s going to happen. So, bottom line, I’m just trying to enjoy life no matter what. I want to enjoy it and try to make a lasting impression with my art. If it’s taken care of properly, the art that I create will last longer than I will.”
— Joshua Villegas
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