A rational guide for anyone who actually wants to do the work. Success usually announces itself at the end, not at the beginning. From the outside, it looks obvious - numbers go up, names become familiar, opportunities stack neatly on top of each other. But when you look closely at the lives of people who’ve built something lasting, especially artists, the early years don’t look dramatic at all. They look repetitive. Quiet. Sometimes lonely. Often uncertain. Real success rare