What is success?

I'm working at writing and journal making and really, I'm clearly not J.K. Rowling with a Harry Potter series. So, I have to decide what "success" means.

If I decide that success means money then I'm limiting my craft to something that is only valuable if it pays my rent and utilities. I think a lot of people think that way, and it's natural. When I listen to most gurus, it's always about making lots of money.

I'm trying to shift my thinking from money to two things: personal satisfaction and engaging readers. The journals I've produced (see previous posts for links) aren't like others I've seen. I want them to be really interactive, especially those for children. My novella is a different creature. I've had feedback from a group of advanced readers and they mostly want to know "what happens next?" That I like. For me it means I'm engaging their imaginations and pulling them into the story.

For me - that's what success really is.