Small Victories

Angela Duckworth wrote Grit in 2016. Five years later, her philosophy is more resonant than ever. She states, “What I mean by passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about that same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way…you have your priorities in order.”

According to Duckworth, grit is a quality that most successful people have. It is not enough, she says, to be brilliant or talented. Perseverance repeated, applied effort will, in the end, be that extra ingredient that brings us to the next level.

Last year(2020), I experienced a shift in outlook. I realized that the world to come is uncharted waters in a way I had never imagined. I decided that the way to navigate those waters was to find a way forward in which I have as much say as possible about my own direction. This has meant acquiring a new skillset in order to communicate as clearly as possible with a world that, for the most part, is suddenly accessible only by computer. It has meant learning software, hardware, audio and video techniques. Ten months later, I am only scratching the surface of a seemingly insurmountable tangle of tasks and techniques. It has been rewarding in an unbelievable way.

I have always, as an artist, sought to reach as many people as possible. I guess part of this is what has prompted me to begin writing again, after a decades-long hiatus. My medium of choice is the dyepot — the alchemy is an endless source of delight to me. But if isolation has taught me anything, it is to listen to the inner voices that guide me, and not to question.

It took me twenty four hours to figure out how to use a wireless microphone and a camera. Having persevered, now, I have another small skill in my knowledge library. Every new thing I learn is an addition to the investment in my greatest capital; myself.

Carol LeBaron

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