Issue Nº 1 Lifting the Lid on Creative Success

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by people who are passionately dedicated to something they deeply care about, whose persistence and perseverance are second to none. They’ll keep going, even when the path is anything but easy.

In Robert Redford’s words: “I’m interested in that thing that happens where there’s a breaking point for some people and not for others. You go through such hardship, things that are almost impossibly difficult, and there’s no sign that it’s going to get any better, and that’s the point when people quit. But some don’t.”

That was my starting point for this special first volume.

The people I have chosen to feature are all brave enough to share not just their work, but their whole journey: the highs and lows, the hardship and lessons learned, the rejection, the doubt, the moments they almost quit. They are people whom I admire for their talent, their knowledge, their discipline, their devotion and, most importantly, their endurance. Tom Broughton opens up about how broke he was before his Cubitts spectacle brand finally took off, chanson singer Vladimir Kornéev shares how he overcame war trauma and a stutter, and the artist and poet Robert Montgomery admits it took 11 years before he sold his first artwork. It is by overcoming such hardships that our artists are where they are today.

Listening to the tribulations behind their artistic success moved me profoundly and often left me speechless. I am honoured to share their stories with you. And I deeply hope that you, dear reader, will also feel inspired, motivated and encouraged when you go through the pages of our first volume.

Let’s not forget that success is not achieved overnight. It requires perseverance and the embracement of failure. You have to trust that nothing is over and everything is just the beginning. You must have the audacity to believe that you deserve your biggest dreams and then move forward with confidence, being certain that the road ahead leads to glory.

But here’s what’s just as important: knowing that you’re not alone. That the doubts, detours, and growing pains are part of every creative journey. Our simple message: don’t lose heart. Keep going. Trust the process. And just as crucially: reach out. Share. Connect.

Because this, to me, is The Art of Seeing—it cannot happen in isolation, only in collaboration. When we talk about our experiences and share lessons learned, we expand our viewpoint and shift our perspectives on the way we see the world.

So let’s stay open. Open to the magic that unfolds when we persist. When we refuse to quit.

Enjoy the ride!

Anne Kaerst

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Art of Seeing Magazine