Earlier this month I was lucky enough to see my first book be released to the public. I remember holding the first copy in my hands. I remember seeing a product page on Amazon with my book as the headline. After probably hundreds of failed attempts, I had finally written a book. I was a published author. I was totally satisfied.

Then I opened up the first copy, and read the first page. Immediately, I began critiquing, searching for ways to improve my style and storytelling ability. Five minutes after the book went live on the Internet, I was already dreaming, plotting, and planning the release of my next one. Yes, I had finally written a book, but how could I be satisfied with just one?

It is important for every artist to cultivate a sense of unsatisfied satisfaction. Unsatisfied satisfaction comes in recognizing progress, while at the same time realizing that it is all part of a much grander process. This comes when we celebrate a milestone, while being acutely aware that it is not the only milestone. We are proud of how far we’ve come, but our pure passion for the craft would never allow us to settle.

Cultivating a sense of unsatisfied satisfaction is what keeps us both happy and driven in our pursuit towards vital creativity.