Re: the faith of aspiring creative-types (like me): Don't lose hope!

Ira Glass is a great storyteller. I admire him for that. And this is a pretty encouraging video for aspiring artists and the like (though it's directed at radio/video journalists, I think).

In a way, I gave up on my creative-career aspirations for the reason Ira says you shouldn't. But, I'm getting older and (though I clearly didn't choose the most practical option) the academic philosopher's life is slightly more practical than the writer's (I had the dreamily vague aspiration of being "a writer," I guess more of a lit professor/novelist, who also writes occasional features for The New Yorker on the side). That's not to say that the academic philosopher's life isn't creative, it is, but in a different way. And since I'm not a great philosopher, or even a good one (yet), I've been feeling disappointed with my work in philosophy these days, and well it's déjà vu all over again (pardon the Yogi-ism).

I guess this is the faith of the artist or creative type: the belief that one day your work will be good enough, to satisfy even yourself.

I don't know, I'm a pretty harsh critic. ;)