When you’re focused on a goal, keeping it in sight with daily activities and marking progress. I know a lot of would-be writers probably wish to be someone like Stephen King, but I wonder if that’s just because he’s a household name by now.
[Not that Stephen King isn’t worthy of esteem, he’s worked very hard to get to where he is and deserves it!]
However, not all of us have that inner horror muse to titillate the masses. I struggle, though I know I have my fans, and I can accept that I might never have a name that’s known in every household. It won’t stop me from trying!
I think about that sometimes. Am I content to keep on with the small presses? It’s difficult to only be available online. I’d love to walk into the brick-and-mortar bookstores and see my books there. It’d be easier to put together book signings and appearances.
Then the difficult part of being an artist- the doubt- hits. What if I’m not good enough for that? On the other hand, if I never try, I’ll never know.
Ransom Noble 
Aspiring to succeed is human nature. If we don’t have higher aspirations then we just as well find something else to do.
I look up to William Blake. He never asked himself “Am I good enough?” He had a huge ambition and a restless creativity that took absolutely no account of what his contemporaries were doing or how his work was critically received. He just did it; and what he did was monumental. Breathtakingly original, he effectively smashed through the pretensions of late 18th century poetry and completely reforged the language, making it simple, direct and modern. We owe so much to him.
I totally feel you on this, Ransom. I’m struggling with these same thoughts right now.
I have always struggled with the who do you look up to question. I competed in academic decathlon and interviews were a part of the competition. They loved to ask questions like that and it always felt like I had to lie in order to give an answer at all.
Then the one relative I looked up to as being strong and having the life I wanted went through a hard time (and still is). That shook me a little bit.
I know how you feel about the I’m not good enough doubt. That’s why I posted in that one thread (writing tips where the one person knows nothing) about writer’s block. A psychologist said on the podcast On The Page, that sometimes we allow ourselves to be blocked or not work on something because of that fear to failure. Because if we fail then we lose our dream. Whereas if we don’t finish anything we never achieve the dream but at least we still have it. I found that very interesting.