“You gotta hustle!”
This phrase gets tossed around a lot in my world. It’s a favorite among independent artists such as myself and other creative types. I gotta be honest — I’m kind of sick of it. I know what people are trying to say when they use that phrase : you gotta work hard and persistently for what you want. I actually agree with that whole-heartedly. The problem is that’s not what “hustle” actually means. Dictionary.com has several definitions for the word, and all of them make me feel kind of gross:
1. Hustle : to proceed to work rapidly
2. Hustle : to push or force one’s way
3. Hustle : to be agressive, specifically in business dealings
Here’s Oxford Dictionary’s definition. It’s not much better:
Hustle : to force (someone) to move hurriedly or unceremoniously in a specified direction
By any of these definitions, I don’t want to be known as someone who “hustles”. It’s something I actually have to fight against. We Americans have “hustling” built into our DNA. I feel it within myself, that tendency to hurry up, hurry up, hurry up. To every-so-subtly push people in the direction I want them to go so I can get what I want. To ‘make things happen’. Fighting my “hustle” gene might mean that my career won’t go as far as others. Only time will tell. But, ultimately, I would rather live my life than hustle through it.
One of my favorite writers Shauna Niequist has a great quote to this point: “More Love, Less Hustle”. I absolutely love this, and was delighted when I heard that Gold Bug designs had made Shauna’s quote into a print. My framed print (pictured above) is sitting on my dresser in my bedroom, to refocus my wayward heart on a daily basis. Visit Gold Bug’s Boutique to get your own copy (available in 5×7 and 8×10).
Have a very happy, NO HUSTLE weekend! 
