We rarely hear stories about the late bloomer. They are often discarded, particularly in the arts. To fit today's definition of artist or creative visionary, you are expected to be a child prodigy or to have extraordinary talents at a very young age. We are often given a time frame in which our dreams should be achieved and if you don’t reach success by a certain age, people begin to question your abilities. But what about the late bloomer? A late bloomer is defined as someone whose talents or gifts are not discovered until later in life. Someone who gets detoured on the path to finding their dreams. Someone who is on a bumpy road to their destiny. They haven’t quite figured out how to get to their final destination but they remain persistent and continue to find alternate routes. They are driven and passionate but for some reason they haven’t found the right door to open. One thing that you must understand as a late bloomer is that failure and setbacks are a necessity along the journey to prepare you for success. Debra Eve, the creator of latebloomer.com contends that being a late bloomer has nothing to do with being late because “we all bloom in our own time.” This happens for a variety of reasons: early setbacks in life, rejection or lack of resources. However, the obstacles that most late bloomers encounter can provide perspective and help steer you in the right direction.

Rejection, fear or self doubt prevent us from realizing our full potential. Some people have an idea of what they want to do in life but they aren’t quite sure how to get there and need a little help getting to their destination. You can have all the talent in the world. You can have the drive and work ethic but until someone opens a door for you and gives you a chance, it is hard to go to the next level. Rejection can be crippling. It shatters your self-confidence and causes you to doubt yourself. You start to question whether you are on the right path and you began to second guess yourself. If the right opportunity does not come along at the right time it can hinder your progress. However, rejection can also lead to self-sufficiency. After experiencing rejection you start to find ways to create your own opportunities. The moment that you encounter rejection that is the moment to reevaluate your approach. Think about how to make things happen for yourself. Become a master at your craft and seek ways to make yourself shine. Create your own opportunities.

According to latebloomer.com “creativity never gets old.” Many great artists achieved success later in their careers. For instance, Toni Morrison pursued her writing career in the midst of a divorce and raising two children while teaching at Howard University. Morrison was in her 40s when she started to reach the peak of her success. Vincent Van Gogh did not pursue a career in art until the age of 27 and ballet dancer Robin Zander gave up everything at the age of 29 to study ballet. Do not be afraid to explore your interests as an artist, visionary or pioneer in your field. Your greatest work has yet to be discovered and if you keep going success will find you.

The good news is you have made it this far! No one has it all figured out and that’s the beauty in this journey we call life. Sometimes the road we take has detours, sometimes we take a turn that gets us off course. We may take a wrong turn or get off at the wrong exit but in the end we still reach our final destination. As long as you keep driving you will get there. The pit stops along the way are teachable moments so take time to learn from them and get back on the road to your destiny. Some will reach their destination before you and that’s totally fine. Your journey is different than theirs. This is a marathon, not a sprint, so enjoy the journey.