How Long?

So...  recently I've been struggling (again) with the idea of how long should one keep trying at this artist business.  When do you call it a day and go back to a regular life with a 40 hour job and give up this idiocy of creativity and just be normal and have a retirement plan.  How long do you keep trying?  Then I realized that it is your whole life.  You can't quit even if you want to. Because you are what you are.  Then today I saw this video and it made me feel better.  While not on the same topic it is related and it talks about the long years before discovery that some great people (i.e. Davinci) endured just working on their 'thing'...  I would offer the perspective that these people kept working because that was who they were... when you are on your proper path that is where you walk. You can't help but keep making art or doing experiments when it is your calling because the choice of giving up in those years and doing anything else is even worse than struggling on. At least there is apparently a shred of hope that those years pay off.... and if not you were at least true to yourself and gave it a shot....   right?

One last thought to ponder: Yes people today want immediate gratification BUT also we aren't taught to do much by way of self exploration we're taught to earn a living and a lot of people want to rush success maybe to get to the end goal of being rich and famous (that is what we want in America right?!) because then they can finally DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.  So your choice is spend your life doing what you love and struggling with a small chance of "making it" or spend your life waiting for the day when you can get started on your passion.  Maybe I want immediate gratification too because I am not willing to wait until I'm 62 to follow my dreams I want to do that now.  (bringing us full circle to the struggle, and repeat!)