Grit

One of the most well-known stories in science is the story of Isaac Newton, sitting next to the apple tree. Supposedly, Newton was lounging near the tree when an apple fell next to him. This event sparked the idea of universal gravity in Newton’s mind, as an explanation of why things always fall back to Earth.

While this makes for an appealing narrative, it isn't actually a true account of the way that Newton discovered gravity.

In reality, Newton spent decades hypothesizing, experimenting, writing, and conducting failed experiment after failed experiment before publishing 'The Principia' ~ the book that demonstrates the principles of gravity. There was no rush of insight that led him to his epic discovery. It was only achieved after years and years of painstaking labor.

Scientists are coming to identify that grit – our ability to persevere and to follow through - is the highest determinants of our success. Our level of grit trumps our social intelligence, IQ, and even the amount of natural talent we were born with.

Thomas Edison is another individual who demonstrated serious grit. As an inventor, Edison attempted to make the light bulb over 1,000 times before he finally discovered a model that worked. When a reporter asked him, 'how does it feel to fail 1,000 times?' Edison replied “I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

And so it is with art. Successful artists have the ability frame their perspective in a way that keeps them from becoming discouraged. They have grit.