Merlin Mann is one of my favorite bloggers - he's kind of a hero. He writes about a lot of things, including efficiency, getting your email box down to zero and general creative stuff. I know of no one who's as creative writing about being creative.
In early December, he posted a piece on getting better at photography, something he wants to do. "Photography, and the Tolerance for Courageous Sucking" is all about how the only way to get better at something is to do it. A lot.
I love this line:
I think finding your own comfort with the process (whatever that process ends up being) might just be the whole game here — being willing to put in your time, learn the craft, and never lose the courageousness to be caught in the middle of making something you care about, even when ... you might look like an idiot fumbling to make it. What’s the worst thing that could happen?
I apologize for the language in a few places, if it bothers you, let me know and I'll generate a synopsis for you to read.
(I wrote about this on my blog, as well, back in December and what I'll be doing to deal with my own acceptance of failure.)
1 comment:
One of my favorite parts of the article: "Nobody likes feeling like a noob, especially when you’re getting constant pressure on all sides to never stick out in an unflattering way. And, in this godforsaken just-add-Wikipedia era of make-believe insight and instant expertise, it’s natural to start believing you must never suck at anything or admit to knowing less than everything — even when you’re just starting out."
I've been using that "just-add-Wikipedia" line in conversations ever since reading the article a week or two ago.
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