4,561 EPISODES 🎬


The creative process can be unrelenting.
Whenever it burns me out, I think about the fact that Oprah recorded 4,561 episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show over the course of twenty-five years, and yet only a handful of moments are considered iconic. 

Meaning that most of the work Oprah did on her show was unremarkable—yet that doesn’t mean it was unimportant. 

When talking about her work in a 2017 issue of Vogue, Oprah said, “Do the work as an offering, and then what ever happens, happens.” 
Oprah didn’t know which of her 4,561 episodes The Oprah Winfrey Show would be culture-changing or life-changing for her audience, but she recorded them all anyway. 

Creatives often fall into the trap of assigning immense value to their own work, treating each pieces as if it will be the one that changes the world. We pour in our hopes, ideals, and dreams, and we are disappointed when no one cares. We ask why we work at all and if we should keep going. 

The answer is: of course. If you love something, do it for the love of the work. Do your work as an offering, not for praise, pomp, or recognition—that’s your part. The rest is up to the universe. 

Love, 
Elista 

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