Unseen Artistry: Finding Purpose When Opportunity Falls Short

“Make the most of your opportunities” A phrase my high school basketball coach would religiously preach to our bench on a daily basis. It was always frustrating to hear as a bench player, because it seemed like that opportunity would never be presented to take advantage of. A sense of anger grew in me like a swarm of hornets vigorously trying to escape a sealed hive, as I was forced to watch players who I was clearly better than play ahead of me. I did not make grades the year before, and unfortunately for me, that was the litmus test our coaching staff used for playing time. My frustrations manifested themselves into the way that I practiced, I perceived everyone as enemy number one. There was a calculated aggressiveness to my behavior and the way that I played till it eventually became undeniable that I should be a starter on the team. 

That was almost twelve years ago, and as this year is rapidly coming to a close, I've found myself reflecting on that a lot recently. Much like those agonizing minutes on the bench, creatives feel sidelined when their hard work goes overlooked, chipping away at their confidence and mental well being. Life will always present the risk of rejection, and it’s only natural to want to avoid it. I think what makes the people in creative spaces interesting, is the willingness to face that risk of rejection head on. In these spaces where your ideas and efforts will often seem to be overshadowed by lesser work, rejection is almost unavoidable. From the critique of our ideas to the favoritism we sometimes see in our industries, learning to process these disappointments can be a challenge. A potential stain on our mental health, as we continue to navigate these realms. 

This year I have experienced rejection in many facets of my life that I initially thought were a sure thing. As much as I understood the sentiment behind “Make the most of your opportunities”,  I honestly grew to hate the phrase with every fiber of my being. After all, what can you make the most of if no one’s willing to give you the opportunity in the first place? You learn to understand the value of resilience, however it is rather difficult to not take things personally. In these spaces so much of what you do is personal, an extension of yourself, the sting of rejection eventually creates feelings of self doubt. Slowly eroding away at your confidence and creating questions of if anything that you’re doing is worth it.

Rejection builds strength, offering a potential learning experience, yet over time, it can begin to manifest as a slow blizzard of the mind, eventually becoming too heavy to simply shovel away. Trapped in the storm, we wait for a new season to melt the ice, anticipating a new opportunity to make the most of, but what if that opportunity never comes? When I look back at that kid that only desired a chance to play basketball, I admire his anger and resilience, especially considering the challenges he was facing at that time. In the lie that was “make the most of your opportunities”, a phrase that its core promoted complacency, he instead used that as fuel, breaking into a space that initially had no room for him. 

I admire him because in his simplicity, he was the most authentic version of myself. Unscarred, and yet to be molded by the disappointments of early adulthood. I want to become like him again. External validation is powerful, but he redefined success on his own terms. No one could tell him if he was qualified; he already believed it and moved through life accordingly. I’m not sure exactly when the seeds of discouragement took root, but I feel them blooming now, in a season where giving up has sometimes felt easier than pressing on.

As much as we’d like to believe in “making the most of your opportunities”, the truth is opportunities aren't just always presenting themselves to everyone. Often, they’re actually nowhere to be found at all. In those moments we’re left with the choice of whether to be consumed by that anger, grief, and disappointment, or transform it into the fuel to construct your own path. For that kid who loved basketball, he chose to create the reality that he saw in his head. 

For some of us, the reality will be that we will continuously be overlooked. The true value can only be created from what we believe in ourselves. After all, every day is a possibility to make something and leave a positive impact. Realistically, as I look at this society, nobody really knows anything anymore, and most others' expectations for you are a sham. How can you  use your work to influence and inspire others? Success isn’t defined by who notices us, but by the resilience we show and the purpose we find in our craft. Keep pressing forward not because the world is watching, but because you, and what you create matters. “I use the means that I have to do what I can”.