Grit

Today I wanted to post a quote that Nikki (another grad student) showed me, a quote from Ira Glass, a public radio personality and host/producer of This American Life. I find myself coming back to this quote in times of doubt or times that I experience "masterpiece syndrome," perfectionism in my work, or also pessimism. I think it's a great point of reflection for any person who has chosen a career path in a creative field. It's difficult to find structure and know when exactly there is a point to continue or a point to stop working on projects that are creative, especially self-directed projects. You really have to rely on your experience with design and art to create work that communicates to an audience in an effective or interesting way. What speaks to me about this quote is that it carries the message that you have to try. And work hard. And fail many many times. It's a natural and normal process in life and in a creative career. But what never changes is your core taste which got you into the game. Take a minute to think about how far you've come. Sure, a lot of your work has probably sucked, and you've probably failed many times. But hey, you worked and planned and tried until some of your work was actually good. And then better. And even kick ass!!!. This quote is a great daily affirmation. Never give up creatives! The ones who succeed are never the smartest, or even the quickest to learn, etc. They are the strong ones that keep pushing and never give up even when their early work belongs in the trash can. They create volumes of work with no hesitation. Only by trying everything, they find their perfect niche. They are the ones who work the hardest and have endurance. The most successful creatives have the most grit.

--Quoted from Ira Glass-- “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.”