"What nobody tells people who are beginners"
I write this quick little post to share a quote from an Ira Glass you tube video which just flitted through my twitter feed. I hope you find it reassuring, as I know I will, in times of self-criticism and doubt and especially during those dreaded bouts of the “not-good-enoughs” that I just discussed in my last post. I include a photo of my last piece because I just can’t stand a post with no photos. Here’s the quote:
“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
The other thing Ira says in the video that I love is “you will be fierce, you will be a warrior.” Ira motivates and reassures me for the practice and process I have in front of me.
Here is the link for the You Tube video again – love Ira Glass!
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.