Imperfect

just create things

Inspired by Devin's on hobbies and giving up.

If all you ever did growing up was just creating things like I did, you can reprise that behavior having grown up too. What stops you from doing things just to do them like your child self did?

Growing up can lead to self-consciousness and awareness of others' opinions, with or without tools like social media. Flip your self-conscious concerns on their head. Quantity trumps quality. Imperfection trumps perfection. Growth trumps approval. Synthesize your new attitudes into resumed, perpetual creation and associated pride toward shipping.

Treating creativity with less rigidity gifts you more self-respect. Instead of fixating on assuming certain states of being, your energy can be spent adapting toward unlocking hidden states.

Everyone practices magic with the spells they cast. Some self-fulfill prophecies of never being as good as they desire, compounded by never trying in the first place. Others make their wish come true by proclaiming the opposite, hitting the ground running, and keeping on going no matter the obstacle. Could subverting leading "what if" hypotheticals kickstart carefree creation?

You can only play God so well with how blind you are to others' minds and your own. Setting aside your universal blanket of originality loosens its vicegrip on your creativity. All songs have been written, yet songwriters you know of keep writing new ones. All good ideas were already had, yet inventors you know of continue brainstorming and experimenting. Imagine how creative people are within and beyond your severely constrained awareness of the world. Originality is a creative excuse to creatively excuse yourself from. Can combining ideas, pushing boundaries, or even changing the rules themselves save you from the siren song of originality?

Instead of failing to produce your perfect song, iterate such that your bangers emerge above the rest. If you have no idea of what you want to produce, save time by finding what compels you first. Remember: you're not serving up beats for everyone. Your own taste proves that.

Replace the neediness of external approval with an internal barometer of growth. Compare yourself to your past selves, then transfer the growth frame to comparisons with others when ready. Realize just how much you have grown and just how much you can grow.

How can you broadcast your taste and progress with your world? Create lists of interests, pictures of drawing practice, videos of guitar practice, etc. It's like what the $19 Fortnite card guy said: "Share, share, share." If you haven't started, what's there to approve of? If you have, what's the matter? The best art you know of has haters. The worst art you know of has fans. You choose whether you continue or not. Better yet, your action inherits permission.

Failures are inevitable. It's guaranteed when you don't try. Losing gracefully is its own skill to practice. Try, fail, learn from your mistakes, then continue forward.

You have the time, resources, and energy to make it up to your younger self. You can start becoming your best friend again.

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