Why is progress slow?

Lately, I've been working on a few interesting projects with talented artists. One has been the design and creation of some new material (sound & web content) for a music narrative project called Andrew's Legend. It's a fresh take on cinematic narrative within song. The more you listen, the more a story unfolds as you witness the development of an unknown personality and his journey through life. The result of this project is bound to impress and attract attention quickly.

However, overall progress has been slow. There are many reasons that you could be feeling like your climbing uphill with an elephant on your back. It's easy to feel frustration boiling over, especially when you know it's a good thing you're creating (perhaps it's a golden elephant on your back). In certain circumstances its best put on your running shoes and bulldoze through the road blocks instead of navigating through the detours. But in other situations, patience is key, not to mention getting some help to carry this massive golden elephant.

Many factors come into play when collaborating on a project with other artists, and in this case patience is a must. When you do something big, something interesting that's not just a hot trend at the moment, the immediate launch is not necessary. You're slow cooking something really tasty, a meal worth savoring and sharing with friends, not just microwaving yesterday's left overs. The process is of greater length because the product is of greater value.

When I think about that, I'm reminded that what I am always after is timeless excellence, not just quick success. With that mindset, patience is possible, and so is real progress.