Build It and They Will Come and Other Bullshit We’re Told

Remember that movie, Field of Dreams.” Remember the phrase, “Build it and they will come?” Remember?

Has anyone ever told you any of these things?

  • Hard work never killed anyone.
  • It doesn’t matter who started it.
  • If you tell me the truth you won’t get into trouble.
  • Looks don’t matter.
  • Violence is never the answer.
  • What goes around, comes around.
  • The customer is always right.
  • This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.
  • Money can’t buy happiness.

Bullshit. It’s all bullshit. While there may be some truth to each of these common sayings, they are also deceptively over-simplified.

They won’t come if you build it. It takes a lot more than just building it. I’ve spent 12 years working online in an attempt to market my books, music, and poetry. Admittedly, I stopped trying as hard a few years ago, but even when I was spending my wee hours building it, I only had a handful of people showing up.

Maybe, if I’d have had a few hundred thousand dollars to put behind myself, I might have sold more books or more music. Even then, you can’t just build it and hope for the best. In fact, you can work double-time all your life and still never get noticed. It’s sad but true.

I’m not posting this as a complaint. I’m posting it as a warning. First, if you really want to get into the creative fields, go to school, get a degree in your discipline. Make connections. Work in your field. Second, if you expect easy success, don’t. And remember, you only get one life. Make the best of it.

Transcend the bullshit. – dse

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Author: Dan Steven Erickson

Dan Steven Erickson is a great undiscovered American songwriter.