Sometimes words land just right, even those over 100 years old.

Know this poem by William Butler Yeats about a Creative who put his work out and had it rejected?

To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing
by Willam Butler Yeats

Now all the truth is out,
Be secret and take defeat
From any brazen throat,
For how can you compete,
Being honor bred, with one
Who were it proved he lies
Were neither shamed in his own
Nor in his neighbors' eyes;
Bred to a harder thing
Than Triumph, turn away
And like a laughing string
Whereon mad fingers play
Amid a place of stone,
Be secret and exult,
Because of all things known
That is most difficult.

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Summary.
Yeats suggest that once the truth is revealed, the friend should accept defeat gracefully, even if the criticism comes from those who may not be sincere or honorable. Yeats goes on to contrasts the honorable nature of his friend with those who are dishonest and yet face no social repercussions. It implies that competing with such individuals is futile because societal values may not always reward integrity. The friend is encouraged to turn away from the pursuit of conventional success and to endure like a resilient string being played in a harsh, unfeeling environment. The poem concludes by urging the friend to find a quiet joy and pride in their resilience, as enduring failure with dignity is one of the hardest things to do.

Relevance to modern Creatives:
1 • Gracefully accept rejection recognizing that not all criticism is fair or reflective of one’s true value.
2 • Integrity vs. Success it is important to stay true to one’s values, even if it means not achieving conventional success.
3 • Resilience creatives must continue their work with passion and perseverance, even when the environment is unkind or indifferent.
4 • Private Triumph Yeats' advice to "be secret and exult" is particularly relevant in an age where public validation (e.g., social media likes, shares) often dictates a creative’s sense of worth. Finding private joy and satisfaction in one’s work, despite external rejection, is a powerful and liberating mindset.

Brian Sykes

::: Tools Used :::
• ElevenLabs.com for a clean audio read of the poem
• Midjourney for image assets
• Photoshop for editing images
• Udio.com for soundbed
• RunwayML + Hedra for Lip Sync video
• CapCut for compilation video

For a step by step tutorial read: https://lnkd.in/eFQhZtT