How much failure can you tolerate?

Question:

How much failure can you tolerate?

Pablo Picasso got up every morning and stuck with a failed painting 97 days in a row till it clicked and he got what he had envisoned ...have you got that kind of stamina?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Have I got that kind of stamina? I like your question, it's making me think. No, I do not possess that kind of stamina in quite the same way as Picasso. And I know your question is probably not directed only at artists- though I am an artist- innately if not by profession. Meaning, I can, but I don't. People have always recognized my talents for art and writing, when I've had opportunity to display them. But creating art is not something I am driven to do, as I find it takes so much time and emotional energy that I have to give to everyday life. So, I guess one could say that is part of my failure- to have talents which aren't being expressed.

Yet, during periods where I have created things that did not turn out the way I had envisioned, I have found that the deviation from the original vision is sometimes interesting in itself. So, I guess I have either never been hung up on achieving my original perception of perfection, thus lack focus or tenacity, some might say, or am just flexible enough to realize that something has been learned no matter what the outcome.

So, is it preferable to see failure as something else and be happy anyway, or to be so focused and tenacious toward a certain outcome that failure is inevitable? The answer is probably somewhere in the middle. I'm convinced many people have just not conquered the problems of setting priorities, proper time management, and determination with direction. Lets pray that by the time most of us figure it out, we will still be physically able to create some semblance of what we envision.