The Illusion of Overnight Success – Why We Want to Believe It

The Myth That Sells

We love the idea of an overnight superstar. The bedroom producer who drops a track on SoundCloud and wakes up to a million plays. The unknown DJ who goes viral on TikTok and suddenly headlines festivals. The story is almost too perfect. And that’s because it is.

This illusion of instant success isn’t just a coincidence—it’s a carefully crafted narrative that benefits industries built around marketing, virality, and social media engagement. It’s no mistake that labels, managers, and brands lean into these stories. They sell the dream because it works.

The truth? Creativity is rarely about a sudden moment of inspiration. It’s a process—often long, repetitive, and filled with failure. But that version of the story isn’t sexy. It doesn’t sell. So, we get the myth instead. And we buy into it.

Creativity Is a Slow Burn, but We Ignore That.

Allen Gannett, in The Creative Curve, talks about how we want to believe in the myth of the genius—this idea that some people are just born with talent that explodes into the world, fully formed. But in reality, creative success follows a predictable pattern. It’s a mix of exposure, deliberate practice, and cultural timing. He breaks down how even the most “sudden” successes—whether it’s Mozart or modern-day pop stars—actually spent years honing their craft before breaking through (Gannett, 2018).

Yet, we tend to ignore that part. Why? Because the reality of creative work—repetition, refinement, rejection—is far less glamorous than the highlight reels we see on social media. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube amplify the illusion, making success look effortless when, in reality, it’s anything but.

Virality vs. Longevity:

Social media has completely changed the way we perceive success. Before, breaking into the music industry required years of grinding—playing small gigs, networking, refining skills. Now, one viral moment can launch a career. And while that sounds like a win, it’s actually a double-edged sword.

Viral success often skips over the crucial development phase that turns artists into lasting creatives. Sure, someone might blow up overnight, but what happens next? Without the foundation of skill, experience, and adaptability, many overnight stars burn out just as quickly as they rise. We see this in music all the time—an artist explodes on TikTok, gets signed, struggles to follow up, and disappears.

Seth Godin, in The Dip, describes this exact problem. He explains that the real test of creativity isn’t the initial breakthrough—it’s what comes after. The best artists, entrepreneurs, and thinkers push through the "dip"—the long, often painful period of slow progress—while most people give up or get stuck chasing their first high (Godin, 2007).

Why We Keep Buying It?

The overnight success myth isn’t just about the people who “make it”—it’s about us. We want to believe that talent alone is enough, that luck plays a bigger role than effort, and that if someone else can make it instantly, maybe we can too.

This belief fuels how we consume music and entertainment. If we assume creativity happens in a flash, we start treating artists as disposable. We move from one viral hit to the next, never investing in the long-term growth of creators. The industry feeds into this cycle, prioritizing what’s trending now over what has the potential to evolve and last.

But what if we stopped buying into this illusion? What if we valued the process over the product? Creativity isn’t about a single breakthrough moment—it’s about persistence, learning, and growth. And if we really care about the artists we admire, maybe it’s time we start celebrating them the way they truly deserve.

Sources

• Gannett, A. (2018). The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time. Currency.

• Godin, S. (2007). The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick). Portfolio.