As an artist and and creator, I hear the word passion a lot. Many ask if I am passionate because I paint and although I do not tell them, I am actually passionate because of the exhausting rigor I have poured into my creations; not just because I create. My passion for life and stoic practices infiltrate everything I do.

Passion serves as a calling card of gratitude and optimism. When I can see passion within someone, the other two are often close by. Yes they may sway but usually end up back in a positive mindset. This is why I find passion to be important. Not because of the fallacy that good art comes from passion. Aesthetics can be just as mathematical and formulaic as anything else once a proficiency has been gained. For example, Bob Ross is considered a great landscape painter to many Americans, but to painters, he is very formulaic and at times redundant and lack luster. He knows the basic formula to good quick paintings and found a way to monetize it.

Another strength of passion is that when the inevitable hard times come, passion helps you overcome the strain. Your desire to succeed and persevere are fueled by your hard earned passion. If you can make it through one struggle, the joy of succeeding restores your fuel tank for the next road block on your path. It can be arduous but we all have to deal with it before we can attain a high level of success.