How do you know when you should keep going versus when it makes sense to cut your losses and try something new? It’s a difficult decision most entrepreneurs and creatives have faced along their journey and so we asked some brilliant folks from the community to share their thoughts.

Wes Nelson

You should only do something if you love it, it makes a positive impact on the world around you, or you need to do it to support yourself or others. And you know you love something because even if you try to give it up, you can’t because that thing will keep coming back to you. Read more>>

Miguel Lopez de Leon

Hi! My name is Miguel Lopez de Leon. As a filmmaker who directs, acts, writes, produces and edits my own films, I really have full control over the stories that I choose to tell. This creative freedom is very important to me and really makes me feel like I have a clear voice in my own work. Read more>>

Jerah Milligan

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. As I get older and time keeps moving, I’ve found myself reflecting on the dreams I’ve carried since I was a kid. I’ve wanted to act my whole life. Becoming an actor, and eventually a director, was something that after a certain point seemed almost impossible. Read more>>

Tony Malzone

When I was younger, I gave up a lot. Not necessarily as a result of failure, but a byproduct of adhd. My moods and interests came and went like the tides. Forever breaking the shores with might and fury, only to dissipate, wash away, and be taken out to sea, never seen again. Read more>>

Slater Cane

For me, it really comes down to mindset and the experiences I’ve had with the customers who truly believe in what I’m building. There have been plenty of times when someone hears the price of one of my pieces and laughs at the thought of spending that kind of money on something I made. Read more>>

Dawn Hoffman

This is a great question. I suppose it’s always a journey through our own internal roadblocks. As we remove them we can truly see if we are forcing, fearing, trusting and/or allowing things to flow naturally. From that place of clarity We take the next indicated action. Read more>>

Brenda Aguiar

I always follow my intuition. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over a decade studying performing arts, it’s that you don’t need validation from others to undertake a project, start a course, or even know where you should be or what you’d like to do. Read more>>

James Bacchi

In my world, ‘giving up’ has never been an option. I’ve always felt that it has such a defeatist connotation, and that’s not me. Conducting Art Business for more than 40 years has and I believe always will present challenges. Fortunately, when something is not working, I’m pretty quick to identify the problem, make necessary changes, and redirect my energy. Got to keep going. Read more>>

Joshua Rosario

Acting has been my passion for as long as I can remember. No matter how difficult things have gotten, I feel that giving up is not an option for me. I meet many different people and even on those days when things are not going well, interactions with even one person gives me the encouragement that I need to keep going. Read more>>

iazY

I think for me, it really comes down to whether I still feel something when I’m creating. If I’m still passionate, still curious, still wanting to get better then I’m not ready to give up, even if the results aren’t showing yet.There have definitely been moments where I’ve felt stuck, especially watching people my age move forward in more traditional careers. Read more>>

Damian King

Always keep going! There is no stopping, at least for me and the way I view my art. I gave up in 2015, now I look back on those years as ones I could have used to sharpen my tools or could have put out more ideas into the world. Read more>>

Svetlana Uchuvatova

This question is so interesting! I actually took a partial break from my business for a bit and really slowed down because I felt like I had lost my vision and creative flow. Even when my social accounts weren’t active and I wasn’t launching new products, I kept seeing purchases come through. Read more>>

Elica Atienza

When something matters to me, my first instinct is to keep going and figure out a better way forward. I also ask myself ‘am I still growing here?’, and if I am still learning something, building useful skills, or moving even slightly closer to the bigger picture I have in mind, that’s usually a sign to keep going. I also pay attention to patterns. Read more>>

Crystal Aranda

Firstly, I’m a firm believer that these ideas and plans we want to pursue are embedded in our brains for a reason. A lot of the times we’re blocked by fear of failure. When you’re passionate about your career or business, it’s portrayed through your work and the way you continue moving forward. Read more>>

Tahn Bae Park

You don’t. You just change. Early in my career I took every opportunity to work more. I maximized my job for every volunteer, leadership experience, summer conference, scholarship opportunity, and professional development seminar I could get until I couldn’t. Once I hit the ceiling, I left. These jobs became checklists. On the surface I looked like a motivated team player that loved to work. Read more>>

Makelia LaRee

I know when to keep going or give up by listening to both my faith and my purpose. If the mission is simply hard, I will keep going because growth, impact, and calling are rarely easy. Read more>>

Elias Posada

Since we last spoke I have had to consider this question a couple times. Giving up is something that I never take lightly. I have no intention to give up on my career as a whole, but the question really comes up on certain projects. When I start something I always intend on following it through to the end. Read more>>