Permission to Suck
I’m sitting at my desk trying to write this newsletter, as I do every month. I tried yesterday, and the day before, and hated what I wrote. Delete, rewrite, overthink, repeat.
We all strive to do our best, and that’s good. It’s important to have high standards. But sometimes those standards can paralyze.
Many of us get stuck because we’ve unwittingly decided: if I’m going to create, it has to be good.
The thing is, creativity doesn’t work like that. Sure, sometimes inspiration strikes and good stuff just flows. But other times the path to good is paved with crap. Bad ideas, false starts, and stuff that just doesn’t work.
That’s when I have to repeat my own words back to myself: start ugly, but start.
Perfection’s overrated. Don’t focus on creating something great. Focus on just creating something real. Spend an hour making something you never intend to show anyone. Remove the pressure to impress. You might be surprised at how much freedom appears when excellence is no longer required.