Ever spent two sleepless nights, pouring your heart, soul, and possibly one kidney into a report or a project, thinking this—this!—is the stuff that will finally make people stand up, clap, and possibly consider putting your face on a postage stamp?
And then…
Boom.
Your masterpiece gets quietly sidelined.
And some half-baked, MS Word default-template level nonsense gets picked instead.
You look at it and think, “Wait… this? Seriously?”
Welcome to the grand confusion of adult life.
The same thing happens with movies. You hear about some new blockbuster raking in hundreds of crores. Everyone’s praising it like it’s the second coming of storytelling. You decide to watch it… and two hours later you’re looking at the screen like it personally insulted your intelligence.
“What is happening to the world?” you mutter, halfway through your overpriced popcorn.
Now you’re annoyed, disillusioned, and probably updating your resume with passive-aggressive quotes like “believer in quality over quantity.”
But pause.
Breathe.
And hear me out.
In both the above cases—your project and the ridiculous movie—you are the only one who seems to be miserable.
The person who made the substandard work?
Happy.
The person who selected that work?
Also happy.
Transaction complete.
The audience clapped.
Money made.
Only you’re left standing with your “but… quality!” placard in the corner.
So what gives?
Here’s the thing. Maybe your standards are high. Maybe you’ve trained yourself to aim for excellence while others are happily rolling around in mediocrity. Noble, yes. But also… exhausting.
Because here’s a hard pill: If everyone around you is happy with average, and you’re fighting to raise the bar all by yourself, you’ll burn out faster than a sugar cube in chai.
It’s not that the world doesn’t care for quality. It’s that not everyone wants the same version of quality that you do.
Maybe you’re producing Beethoven in a world that just wants 30-second EDM loops on Instagram reels.
And that’s okay.
(Painful, but okay.)
So what do you do?
You’ve got two options:
- Ride the wave. Understand what the market wants. Play to the gallery. Give them what they like. Maybe your genius is in adapting.
- Stick to your high horse. Do your premium, top-notch, Michelin-star level work—but don’t expect a standing ovation every time. Heck, don’t even expect anyone to turn up.
But here’s the secret: If you choose the second path, do it for the joy of the craft, not for validation. Because if you’re gonna be niche, own it. If you’re playing solo jazz in a world of DJ remixes, enjoy your music—and don’t whine that people aren’t dancing.
The most miserable people are the ones who insist on doing what they like, but secretly crave the love of those who don’t care for it.
You either adapt… or you accept.
That’s it.
Pick one.
And next time someone’s work gets picked over yours, just remember: That’s their movie. That’s their audience. You? You’re the director of your own story.
Even if your film has only 5 viewers, let it be the most beautiful damn short film anyone’s ever seen.
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