I truly do not care about money, and that’s probably my biggest problem. It’s probably also why I’m a crazy artist, just like so many others. We do this because it’s a passion—that’s what it’s called for a reason. The artists who are only in it for the money are few and far between, or at least they’re often short-lived once they discover the reality of this life.

Money comes and goes. When life ends, you can’t take any of it with you. I’ve made peace with that. What matters to me is what I leave behind.

When I’m gone, I hope I live on through my work and through the inspiration I leave for my family. I hope they pass it down, tell the stories behind it, and, more importantly, feel encouraged to follow their own passions instead of someone else’s expectations.

The hard part is that I don’t feel like I’ll have anything worth passing down until I’ve created something that truly matters. Maybe that’s ego. Maybe it’s ambition. Maybe it’s just the artist in me refusing to stop until I’ve left a mark.

-Damon mf Bradshaw