Humans are obsessed with recognition, we are obsessed with being rewarded, we are obsessed with being praised.
It's not something that I want to pass blame on either. Who doesn't want to be awarded for their achievements? Who doesn't want recognition and respect from their peers and loved ones for the accomplishments you have achieved. You worked hard for them, right? Hard work deserves awards and recognition.
I used to resent that fact that sometimes my work and my effort were passed over by others. I used to feel that the work that I did was not as appreciated as much as it should have been, that the effort and work that went into something was brushed off as meaningless to the outside world. My work essentially meant nothing, it was just another thing to be lost to the minutia of time and history.
It wasn't until a few years that I was told a phrase that would stick with me to this day, a phrase so simple in its wording, and yet so deep in its meaning.
"Awards don't matter".
Awards don't matter, that is absolutely true. This doesn't discredit anyone who has received or won a reward for any accomplishment. If you are one of them, congratulations, I'm very happy for you. For those who feel that they never get the recognition or awards they deserve, this is for you.
You should never let your own self-worth and you own achievements become defined by someone else. Awards are given out through the decisions made based on what is already known, in other words, what is popular at the moment.
Do not strive to achieve what is popular, do not strive to satisfy the status quo. The chances of you creating something original, groundbreaking, and forward thinking is slim if you follow this path or adopt this mindset.
Approval from groups or other people should never be the drive or the inspiration to achieve greatness or feel validation for your efforts. Rewards are not a bad thing, there are plenty of people who have received them, who deserve them, but having a mindset that we deserve awards, that we always deserve that recognition, you're already off to a bad start.
How do you get past this obstacle? Make something new. Make something people don't even know they want yet. When you can successfully step away from expectation and the status quo, you have created a space that has not existed, that now serves as a beacon where there previously was none.
Be true to yourself, be true to your subject and you'll unlock the area where true art and true innovation lies.
Once you reach this state, you will no longer be interested in awards, You've created something timeless. You'll no longer want them, you'll no longer need them.