Hello everyone! Trevor here. Sorry to say there won’t be a full post this week – my focus has been pulled a hundred different directions recently, and writing a new blog was not one of them. Add to that the fact that I got a week behind on writing the script for the next podcast episode (largely because every idea I came up with didn’t feel “good enough”), and you’ll see where I’m coming from today.
There’s this interesting theory about the relationship between skill and satisfaction in the arts. Essentially it states that as your practice, your expectations for yourself rise just a little faster than your abilities – so you’re never quite happy with the result by the time you’re done. And boy howdy, was that true with this script. I went through about four different, fairly strong concepts, two complete outlines, and more than a few full drafts before I felt confident enough to send it to the cast. It may have been a bit much, but I’m very proud of the story, so I’d say the struggle was more than worth it.
That’s what I want to remind everyone today. If you’re struggling with perfectionism and feelings of inadequacy, remember that all creators are their own worst critics. We all feel like we aren’t good enough most of the time – but I want to let you in on a little secret. If you stop creating, you’ll never improve. Those feelings are nothing more than growing pains.
Keep trying. Keep growing. Let it hurt, but keep improving. Do your best work, then move on to the next thing. Someone somewhere might just need to hear what you have to say someday. Never let that little voice in your head shut you down.
Homestead on the Corner 