Bhutan, a tiny relatively poor country tucked between China and India in the Himalayas, knows something bigger and richer countries don’t: that fiscal health is only a small part of what makes a country great. The leaders of Bhutan have the wisdom to know that the happiness of each and every citizen, their education, physical and mental health, relationship to the environment, spiritual development, etc., is what makes a country truly successful.
Bhutan measures the overall well-being of its citizens using an index called Gross National Happiness. The index contains nine steps and has over 30 sub-steps that help to identify and promote the behaviors and conditions that ensure that each person has the causes and conditions for a well-rounded, full, and happy life.
I think is a very healthy and even necessary way for artists to look at their lives as well. Because happiness will sometimes be the only gauge of your success—money and security often not being the primary rewards of the artistic life—it would seem to be a good idea to have a way to check in to see if you are truly happy living the life of the artist.
In that spirit, I thought it would be fun to apply three of the principles that form the
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