“Create something. Share it. Even if it sucks. Stay on it until it doesn’t anymore.”
Ernest Wilkins wrote a terrific piece last week in Chicago’s RedEye on a “cheat sheet to being a man”.
The advice is useful for anyone struggling to think about balance.
But what really stands out is his simple heuristic on creativity:
Create something, whether it be a screenplay or a deck. Build something with your hands or your keyboard. Take pride in losing yourself in something you love doing. Share it with people, even if it sucks. Stay on it until it doesn’t anymore.
I’ve created a number of projects over the years. Some I’ve stuck with and some I haven’t. The few I regret are the ones I never stuck with long enough to get into a non-suck form.
I know a lot of people who struggle with choosing which idea to commit to. Or when’s the right time to abandon ship and move onto another idea.
Just pick one. Any of them. And make something out of it. Move onto another idea when you’re pretty sure you’ve squeezed the suck out of it, and now you don’t love it anymore.
P.S. You should get my next post: here.