To pivot or to persevere? Or more bluntly – to give up or to not to give up? This is a haunting question, a question that has ramifications far after an answer has been chosen and it’s also a question that almost everyone in our community has had to face at one time or another. How do you know when to give up and when to keep trying?

Nicholas Sanchez | Visual artist & Director

How to know whether to keep going or give up? Here’s something I have come to understand and truly appreciate within my 30yrs of living as an artist: if it is intrinsic to your being, if it is something you cannot live without, something which nourishes your very Soul, something that rips you out of the mundane and throws you headfirst into the extraordinary… Read more>>

Harry Rooster | Producer, Engineer, and Musician

Life is about taking a journey. Why would you give up? Turn your failures into opportunities. I believe you should never give up in anything you do, but you also must be wise enough to know when something is working or not. Everything you do comes full circle in one way or another if you keep moving forward. Read more>>

Revaz-Giorgi Arveladze | Author/ Director/ Video Editor

It’s not difficult to tell when something is working or not. Usually, I keep at something until I’ve genuinely confirmed that the project in question is not worth it continuing as it is burning up more resources without a proper turnaround. Read more>>

Cassidy Naber | professional dancer and actress

As someone who has been in the entertainment industry for a long time, I’ve gotten burnt out many times. This industry is brutal, to say the least, Something that has always kept me going has been to think about that little girl who would never want me to give up. I would never wanna disappoint her because I know how hard she’s worked from a very young age. I know that I can’t live without dance or acting so giving up just isn’t an option for me. Read more>>

Stephen Manas | Actor

It is a infime part of yourself you have to reach out to. Is it worth it ? Will you pass a good chance in your life to have a good experience ? What feeling is it giving you ? Happy or Not ? Too risky or Not ? You have to try to find an answer to many questions without really asking them It is not about never giving up, this is stupid sometimes you have to, but sometimes you don’t have to haha Read more>>

Billy Myers III | Stand up Comedian, host & creator of the Riff Raff

Only give up if you genuinely hate the thing you’re giving up. Don’t waste your time continuing on with things that make you hate the thing or worse yourself. Whatever goal or dream you’re chasing that way will never provide the pay out you’re hoping for if you already hate it by the time you get there. If you don’t hate it, you keep going. You don’t have to be the best. Read more>>

Tim Flynn | Martial Arts Instructor & Anti-Bullying Expert

Well, the 1st thing you need to do is to remember why you started in the 1st place. Ask yourself these questions: What will be the outcome of following through with what you started? Will you become a better person for quitting? Or, are you quitting because you took on too much you can handle? I think you need to sit back and ask yourself these questions before deciding whether to keep going or pull the plug. Read more>>

Jarren Blair | Recording Artist, Songwriter, and Producer

In the world of being an artist there is a lot of power in the attempt. Seeing my ideas through to the end and checking out how they feel always pays off more than giving up on them before they are tangible. I can always make changes or backtrack if something doesn’t feel right when I’m writing or recording, and I try to apply that when I’m collaborating in sessions as well. Read more>>

Ifeanyi Ezieme | Writer & Director

To continue forward is the only way I’ve ever looked at anything in life. Failure has never been an option to me. Most people’s perception of failure to me is just a matter of fine tuning the game plan. Whether it’s pressure I put on myself or subconscious pressure I feel from being the son of two Nigerian immigrants, needless to say, this mindset is what’s gotten me as far as I have at young age of 25. Read more>>

Sarah Roche | Junior Publicist

Knowing whether to give up or keep going can be a challenging decision, as it often involves a delicate balance between determination and self-awareness. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, I have the mentality that you have to keep moving forward and having a strong support system helps with that. I studied Classical piano performance in college and ended up working in PR in Hollywood. Realising I didn’t want performance to be the main part of my life was not giving up but made me keep going to figure out where I fit into the industry. Read more>>