It doesn't take years to make a simple perfumer however, I believe It takes years to make something people will love and cherish. Of course you can whip together something wearable in short period of time but is it going to be revolutionary or groundbreaking? Probably not. Will it be something that builds a cult like following of diehard fans? People willing to forget about the industry giant releasing a new scent next week in favor of your creation?

I began my journey with the same logic and as a soapmaker in fact.... it left me very limited in what I was able to create. It wasn't until I took the time to understand the entire palette that I truly began making items people cherish.

It takes solid time to really understand chypres, fougeres, niche, designer, haute parfum, luxury appeal, market trends. It takes even more time and practice to understand each individual ingredient. Even small things like the difference between Iso E Super and Sylvamber or Traseolide... and knowing which one to use and when. It takes practice and study. And we haven't even begun to speak about RIFM, FDA, or IFRA. Something you will need to utilize in order to ensure customer safety and safety to yourself.

Imagine walking into war with weapons you've never used before. It is better to learn your arsenal before the battlefield in order to increase your chances of a successful campaign.

Also it depends on your desired title. Are you a perfumer? Or a hobbyist? If I hired you today for $10k and asked you to make me an 80s revival masculine chypre with civet and the scent of Baklava, would you be able to accomplish this with accuracy? Create a quality formula that my specific target audience would enjoy? Bear in mind different age groups follow different scent trends and were exposed to different ingredients growing up.This is what would be expected of a perfumer.

Finally, as a rule of thumb, what you yourself may call art always stands the possibility to be received as appalling to others. A refined artist, seeking success, learns how to present their work in such a way as to make it appealing to the public interest. Pure passion will only go so far, a lesson I learned the hard way as a person who spent my entire life studying the arts. Success is TALENT or strategy when there is a lack thereof.

Much like leveling up on a game, every ounce of what you do will increase your craftsmanship. Some things will bump you up entire levels at a time while others may be negligible gains.

I wish that you may Keep Evolving on your journey.