"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again... Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it." ~Mark Twain

Let your motto be to never stop trying as you pursue your artistic expressions. The more you practice, the better you'll get! Go on, try, try again! Here's the problem though" do we need to know when to quit? Was Mark Twain serious?

Sometimes, it's not our techniques that fail, it's our concepts. Then again, our concepts could be fine, but our techniques need improvement. Most of us realize that we don't always succeed in spite of our efforts. Failure could be caused by wrong timing, budget constraints, or even personal conflicts which obstruct the advancement of projects.

Have you ever wondered why Mark Twain wrote his version of this famous expression to "try, try again"? Mark Twain enjoyed literary and financial success. Mark Twain had a sense of humor too. Here's another one of his many humorous passages: "Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." Mark Twain was playful, gregarious, yet down to earth. In his later years and in spite of his success, he was angry over the untimely death of his wife (she fell ill and died). Mark Twain felt her death was unfair; and in time, he became bitter with life and God.

As we contemplate famous sayings such as Mark Twain's, we need to look behind the quotes and try to figure out who said it and why. As we continue in our artistic expressions, we need to enjoy the process. If we enjoy what you are doing, we have succeeded. If your artistic endeavors enhance your life and bring you personal satisfaction, you will never have to wonder if you should quit or if you are wasting your time. So, go ahead and keep trying! Never give up on your dreams! (Revised 2/17/2006)