The Slow Growth of Creative Success & Why "Overnight Success" is a Myth | Ep. 72

Success isn't an instant achievement but rather a product of consistent effort and perseverance over time. As it turns out, slow and steady does win the race.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Octavia E. Butler's journey from facing rejections and working odd jobs to becoming a celebrated sci-fi writer exemplifies how real success requires tireless work and patience.
• The pressure on creatives to succeed quickly sets unrealistic expectations
• What appears as overnight success usually takes years of hidden work
• Consistency matters more than viral moments for sustainable creative careers
• Detach self-worth from the speed of achievement to protect your mental wellbeing
• Success is seasonal—not every moment brings breakthroughs
• Define success by your own standards, not society's expectations
• During slow growth periods, discipline becomes more important than motivation
• Use challenging times to perfect your craft and view rejection as redirection

Reflect on your own personal growth journey to appreciate your progress!

Please tell a friend about this podcast and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Theme Music:
She No Dull Beat by Nana Kwabena
Festivities in Belize by RAGE Productions

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome and Introduction
• 2:48 Octavia Butler's Journey
• 4:13 The Myth of Overnight Success
• 6:00 Success vs Self-Worth
• 7:17 Defining Personal Success
• 7:51 Using Time to Perfect Your Craft
• 8:50 Episode Closing and Call to Action

Transcript

Aliya Cheyanne: 1:21

Testing testing one, two, three. Testing testing one, two, three. Testing testing one, two, three. Testing testing one, two, three. Testing testing one, two, three. Testing testing one, two, three. Hey friend, welcome back to the show. I'm so happy that you're here. Thank you for tuning in and, if you haven't already, be sure to rate and review the show and share this podcast with a friend. Since it's Women's History Month, I want to highlight an incredible Black woman you should know about.

Aliya Cheyanne: 1:53

The late Octavia E Butler didn't just wake up one day and become a legend. She worked tirelessly. Octavia worked tirelessly. Octavia worked tirelessly, faced multiple rejections and even took odd jobs to sustain her dream before becoming one of the most celebrated sci-fi writers of all time. Her slow, intentional growth reminds us that success is an instant. It's built. Read or watch Kindred or read Parable of the Sower for inspiration on persistence, especially during these trying times.

Aliya Cheyanne: 2:47

So many creatives feel so much pressure to succeed fast and it's so unrealistic. Sure, someone may go viral and gain fame from that, but the reality is that won't happen to most people. That won't happen to most people. For most people, it takes years of consistency, grit and conviction to your purpose before quote-unquote success takes off. The truth is, most of the success you see around you comes from long-term effort. What might look like overnight success usually takes years of hidden work. So many creatives and entrepreneurs will talk about consistency. Some of the biggest creatives you know in the world were consistent with their craft for years before they saw an ounce of success. Showing up regularly matters more than a viral moment. As creatives, we have to learn to detach our self-worth from speed, because fast isn't always better and oftentimes, when we do attach our self-worth to speed, when things don't happen for us as quickly as we want or as quickly as we desire, it can negatively impact the way we view ourselves and our self-worth and the gifts that we share with the world.

Aliya Cheyanne: 4:15

Creatives know well that success can be seasonal. Not every moment is a breakthrough, and that is okay is a breakthrough, and that is okay. Trust me. I know firsthand how frustrating and disappointing it can be to not have instant gratification with the effort that we put in. But I also know firsthand how rewarding and fulfilling it is to see a dream come true eventually, after having worked on it and poured into it for so long and really tailored and perfected our craft to the best of our ability. Because, in truth, many of us only get better with time. When I think back, there are so many episodes of this podcast that honestly make me cringe, either because maybe the sound quality was really off, or maybe not a lot of prep went into the episode, or perhaps certain episodes just don't feel like my best work. Now, having continued to do the show after all of this time, I only know that I'm growing and getting better, and to me that feels like success.

Aliya Cheyanne: 5:36

Navigating our relationship with success is important as well, and it can be very tricky. When we say success, are we saying success by our own measure? Are we saying success by our own measure and standard, or are we saying success based on society's view of success or comparing ourselves to another person's success? Success can only be determined by us and as experts in our own unique crafts. Only we know when we've done well. Only we know when we feel the most successful and, like many things, sometimes motivation isn't enough.

Aliya Cheyanne: 6:19

When growth is slow, this is when discipline kicks in. This is when staying the course kicks in. This is when recalling the vision that we have been granted kicks in. This is when understanding our purpose kicks in. This is when we keep our eyes on the prize.

Aliya Cheyanne: 6:40

Remember the best things take time. Remember the best things take time. Use this time to perfect your craft. Use this time to perfect your craft. Use this time to grow your skills. Use this time to view rejection as redirection. Think about it for yourself. Reflect on something you've improved. Reflect on something that you've improved at over time. How were you in the beginning, how are you today and where do you hope to be in the future? Friend, thanks for tuning in to another short but sweet episode. If this episode resonated with you, please be sure to tell a friend. To tell a friend and to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. Thank you for lending me your time, your energy and your ears, and I appreciate you for being here. Have a great rest of your day or night and I'll catch you on the next episode. Bye.