If You Build It, Will They Come? Reflections on the Myth of Magical Success
If You Build It, Will They Come?
I remember sometime in my teens, a movie came out starring Kevin Costner called Field of Dreams. It was about a corn farmer who has a strange dream—one that leads him to plow under half of his crop to build a baseball field in the middle of Nowhere, America. The neighbors think he’s lost it. But there’s that one iconic line that has glued itself to my psyche ever since:
“If you build it, they will come.”
And they do come—in the movie, at least. Ghostly baseball players from the past, and a line of cars stretching to the horizon, filled with people eager to watch them play. I’ve carried that line with me for years, and for a long time I believed it. All I had to do was build my vision, follow my dreams, and people would show up. Magically.
But that’s not how it works—not really.
Maybe that was once true. Maybe if you were the only artist in a small town, people did show up, curious to see what you were making. What you created was special simply because it was one-of-a-kind and close by. But now? I know many artists who make extraordinary work and still struggle to find their audience—including myself.
I went to a respected university for art. I also got a business degree from the same school—on purpose. If I was going to be an artist, it had to be for the long haul. I didn’t want to become a teacher; I wanted to find a way to make my art and earn a living. I thought business knowledge would help.
It was not a popular move. I still remember how one of my professors looked at me like I was wasting his time. He didn’t understand why someone who danced, who made art, would want anything to do with spreadsheets or strategy. He wasn’t curious. He didn’t ask. He just saw it as wrong.
And still, here I am—making, creating, thinking, dreaming. Constantly pulled toward the next thing I want to bring into being. I don’t have a neat formula to share. I don’t know the guaranteed path to success. But I do know this: if you don’t put your work out into the world, it’s not going to get found. If you build it, they won’t come—not unless you also do the work to get it seen.
Sometimes, my creative business feels like one of my paintings in the messy middle stage. I’ve thrown everything at it. I’m staring at it, trying to figure out what’s working, what’s not. Should I keep going? Should I start over? Should I stop altogether and just go sew myself a new pair of pants?
But I don’t stop.
Because the dream is still there—evolving, adjusting, adapting—but always present. And maybe what matters most is learning to stay with it. To keep showing up, even when the outcome is unclear. Just like in my paintings, I’m learning to trust the messy middle—to accept that I’m still discovering what works, what connects, and what this whole thing wants to become.
What are you building?
If you’re finding yourself in that messy middle—deep in the work, wondering if it’s reaching the right people—you’re not alone. Join The Artful Journey, my newsletter where I share honest reflections, behind-the-scenes stories, and insights for fellow creatives navigating this path. Let’s build something beautiful, together.
