*The creative process is beautiful and frustrating and exhilarating and exhausting. Yet far too often, we put out a poor product. One we’re not even proud of. One that doesn’t inspire further creativity, but de-spires it. (kind of like when you create a new word, like “de-spire”)
I look back to work I did a few years back and I think, “How did I ever send that?” It’s not that it’s full of mistakes. It’s that it’s just not that good. I wasn’t being lazy or haphazard with my work. I just knew something was missing and that I could get better.
The Gaps
I noticed gaps between what I was producing and what I wanted to produce. Gaps between “good” art and “lousy” art. I knew what I was aiming for, and I was hitting as close to the target as I knew how. I recognized the gaps, be it ever so slightly, then but now looking back, those gaps are like chasms.
Closing the Gap
That process continues today. I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to the target, but I still miss. I can describe to you what a beautiful, finished piece of work should look like, but for some reason, my finished work falls short.
With every project, I’m getting a little bit better. One day, I know I’ll look back on my current works and wonder, “How did I ever send that?” But for now, I trust that the daily grind and evaluation is producing an increasingly better and more beautiful work.
So I’ll keep producing the best art with the most care that I know how.
This video from Ira Glass is a great take on the creative process.
It seems that almost every person on the planet can say either, “I have a blog…” or, “I used to have a blog…”
You used to be cutting edge if you had a blog, back when the first ones launched in 1999. Now, in 2011, bloggers are a dime a dozen.
And there are so many mediocre blogs out there that if yours doesn’t significantly stand out, you’ll get lost among the noise. Here’s what I mean:
There’s no guarantee today that if you start a blog, it’ll become successful.
There’s no guarantee today that if you have a blog, it’ll continue to be successful.
And though this may frustrate you, it thrills me. It drives me to work harder, faster, more creatively, and more passionately. Creating art that is relevant, helpful, and sharable is difficult, given the level of noise that social media is creating in our world. But the product that successful bloggers are creating is getting better and better.
In the long run, the fact that blogging is difficult will make you a better writer, communicator, and artists (assuming you stick with it). And it will force better artists to step up and continue to create better art. And in the long run, the number of active blogs may decrease. And that competition is good for the system.
People aren’t just clicking on blogs anymore. They’ve got to have a reason.
What reason(s) are you giving them?
Why should someone read and subscribe to your blog?
About Me
Author of 'Starting Small', small groups @Saddleback. Communications @SmallGrpNetwork. Coffee & CrossFit enthusiast.
