Pork and Beans

Ok, this is a semi-gratuitous "Pork and Beans"posting. (Click the link, embedding disabled-- boo) What does this video have to do with following your creative bliss? The line, "I'm 'a do the things that i wanna do, I don't got a thing to prove to you" pretty much say it all.

There has been a ton of chatter lately in the blogisphere about work worth doing v.s. "worthy" work. Over on Nathan Bransford's blog the question, "If an all knowing seer of some kind told you you would never be published, ever, would you still write?" elicited something like 180+ comments running the gamut from "of course!" to, "No freakin' way!"

To me there is no question that creative activities are enjoyable and probably enhance one's life, but at the same time, when i feel myself getting sucked down a non productive rabbit hole (like my stamp obsession of s few years ago), I slam on the breaks.

What's your take? If someone told you, with certainty, you'd never be published, or sell one more painting, or whatever it is you do, would you continue, or go in another direction where you could pursue "success"?