The Myth of Merit Alone

We like to believe the creative industries reward talent and effort. That if you’re good enough and work hard enough, you’ll eventually break through. It’s a comforting idea. But history tends to complicate it.

Success, particularly the kind that lasts, is rarely about one thing. It often involves a combination of skill, consistency, timing, and a fair bit of luck. The story of William Shakespeare is a good reminder.

Shakespeare’s Narrow Escape

When Shakespeare died in 1616, his plays weren’t neatly collected or canonised. Many existed only in working manuscripts or in cheap, flawed printed versions. Without the efforts of two of his fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, who compiled the First Folio in 1623, at least eighteen of his plays would have disappeared entirely. Among them: Macbeth, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, and Antony and Cleopatra. Imagine a world without those.

But even with the Folio in print, Shakespeare’s rise to cultural icon status wasn’t instant. His reputation was inconsistent in the decades after his death. His plays were still being reworked and adapted like many others of the time. What changed things was the reopening of the theatres in 1660, following the end of the Puritan ban on public performance. Suddenly there was a need for strong material. Theatres were desperate for plays, and Shakespeare’s were among the few high-quality options ready to go. His work was revived not because it was revered but because it was useful. It worked on stage, and audiences responded.

That revival gave his writing a second life. Later champions like David Garrick helped to enshrine him as Britain’s great writer. But it was this moment of cultural reset, coupled with the earlier preservation of his texts, that made it possible.

Luck Doesn’t Replace Craft

None of this suggests Shakespeare owed his success purely to fortune. His writing shows remarkable range, precision and emotional depth. He had both talent and discipline. But without the First Folio or the timing of the theatre revival, his work might not have survived long enough to be appreciated properly.

His linguistic influence speaks for itself. Shakespeare helped shape modern English, introducing or popularising over 1,700 words still in use today, including eyeball, swagger, bedazzled, jaded, gloomy and bedroom. He also gave us expressions like "all that glitters is not gold", "break the ice", "wear your heart on your sleeve", and "green-eyed monster". When you say someone has "seen better days" or talk about "fighting fire with fire", you're quoting the work of someone who very nearly disappeared into history. To put that into context, he was the written equivalent of Hey Jude, Let It Be, Yesterday etc.

He didn’t control the circumstances that preserved his legacy. He just did the work. The rest happened because a few key things went his way after he was gone.

The Parallel in Audio

There’s something here for those of us working in music and audio. Every industry has its stories of people getting their break thanks to luck. A recommendation at the right time. Being in the room when a project came up. Someone pulling them in because they were top of mind.

But when you look closer, those people are rarely beginners. They’re professionals who’ve been doing the work, often in obscurity, and were ready when the moment came. Luck might introduce you. It doesn’t get you rehired.

This is why seasoned audio professionals keep going, even when it feels like no one’s noticing. Because the work still matters. The habits, the taste, the attention to detail. They’re what position you to say yes when opportunity finally turns up.

Legacy Still Matters

Most of us didn’t get into this for the money. There are easier ways to make a living. What drives many creatives is the hope of making something lasting. Of doing work we’re proud of. Maybe even leaving something behind that others will value.

In reality, long-term success for Shakespeare made no difference to him in his lifetime. But in terms of legacy, it took him from being just another writer to being the most influential writer in the English language.

Hopefully, some of us will get to see the fruit of our talent and hard work this side of the grave, after all, legacy doesn't pay the rent. However, if you think your work makes little difference, you may be doing the audio equivalent of planting trees you will never enjoy the shade from.