Make something terrible
Go to Amazon or Rotten Tomatoes, pick your worst book or movie, sort it by 5-star reviews.
There you’ll read all the glorious and magnificent things you missed.
Pick your best book or movie, sort it by 1-star reviews.
There you’ll read things that might infuriate you, because how dare these people say such horrible things about something you hold so dear.
The point is, you can’t please everyone.
Remember that when it comes to your own work. It doesn’t matter what you create or do. Paint, draw, music, photography, writing, creating films. The list goes on.
“If you want to make everyone happy – sell ice-cream.” – Steve Jobs
Otherwise, continue with your craft. Your audience will find you.
Do you to the best of your abilities.
Be the best you, you can be.
How?
Start by making something terrible. Something completely new. Something unique to you.
Then, make it slightly better.
Don’t copy others. Be inspired by others.
By their philosophies and their principles.
Then, make it a lot better.
Then, make something great.
—
Inspired by
Catastrotivity
Casey Neistat
This is an interesting way to go. You learn by doing things, and if you’re new to something, there will always be ‘experts’ who will want to take you down. If you set out to do your worst, anyway, it shouldn’t hurt as much when others bag your work. You know it’s not your best anyway …
Yes, absolutely. We learn by doing. In this case – creating. In this article, I specifically refer to creating anything artistic.
Which means it’s impossible to fail. There’s no right or wrong. No black or white. Art is in the eye of the beholder.
Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
If I can use myself as an example. I’ve been taking pictures for around 7 years. When do I know that I’m ‘good enough’? When is my photos ‘good enough’ to post on the internet?
Well, never.
Because it will ‘improve’ and ‘get better’ as time goes on, and I might be ashamed of the photos I’ve taken now.
So, when starting out with something new, instead of trying SO HARD to create something good, create something terrible. Because that’s easy. Most of the time we give up on something because we set our expectations too high, and we’re also afraid of other’s judging us.
If I can use my work as an example again. The first video I uploaded was terrible compared to what I upload now, in my opinion.
BUT, when I set out to make these videos, I told myself that it’s okay if they are terrible. They are supposed to be. Especially my first video. IT’S MY FIRST VIDEO.
Not even Picasso created a masterpiece which was sold for an infinite amount of money. So why should we worry so much? Especially when we start out?
Something I learned from Gary Vee is – share your process.
All my photos, all my videos, is me sharing my process. That’s it. And doing the best I can with my experience and skill at this very moment.
So it doesn’t matter what you create. Set out to create something terrible. Then you have set the lowest benchmark you can, and that’s a good and healthy place to start.
If someone says, “Your work is terrible”, you can say with a smile, “It’s supposed to be terrible.”
And with time, your audience will find you and will gladly follow you on your journey and your process as you master your craft 🙂
Great advice – and a stunning photo. What’s not to like.
Thank you so much 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the good advice and great photos! I’ll adopt that attitude for my next art/craft project that I’m about to embark on — and for my blog too. I’ll be true to myself and hope the audience find me!
Thank you! And it’s my pleasure. I’m glad you found it useful 🙂
Oh yes, especially for something like your blog.
If your first article sucks, that’s okay. It should suck. But you will improve with 1% for your next article, and then another 1%. Before you know it, you’re on a roll and you’re featured all over 🙂
Excellent advice!
Wow. This started on a different note but how you summed up is beautiful.
Creating something unique or different is a challenge but since you said to start on a terrible note makes the whole thing fun 😂
Exactly! It should be fun. It shouldn’t be a frustrating process. So instead of focusing so hard on trying to impress everyone, focus on developing your craft 🙂
What a great message!
The quote about selling ice cream! If only life were still that simple!!! These days if you sold ice cream, you’d still make people angry and upset whether it would be due to allergies, dietary preferences, store hours, the number of flavors or toppings available, etc. That wasn’t the point of this post, the point was much better – that just caught my attention first.
Way to go Wandering. Just what I needed. Thanks,
Great post! Thanks!
Thank you! It’s my pleasure! 🙂
So very true!
Oh I love this post, yes just do something, great advice. And the ice cream quote made me smile, I bet that wouldn’t make some happy 🤔🤣
That just goes to show. So many people wouldn’t even be happy about ice-cream! How on earth do you expect to make them happy with your creative work?
I love this post. Great advice. Thank you.
Thank you! It’s my pleasure 🙂
What you said about persisting in life regardless of setbacks was very encouraging!
I’m so glad to hear that! Setbacks are part of life. We all just have different ones. Just keep going and enjoy the journey 🙂
Great post, Wandering Ambivert! Thank you.
Thank you! It’s my pleasure! 🙂
This is so true. No matter how great your work is you can never please everyone. So just keep doing your best and you never know you might reach great heights some day!
Exactly! You’ll never know, until you get there. STOP trying to please everyone. Just be the best version of yourself you can be 🙂
I give this post a 5-star review on Rotten Tomatoes. 🙂
Thank you! 😀
🥀🌈☄️💥
🙂
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Don’t be afraid to start by making something terrible.
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Thanks again. Funny… I’ve never liked ice cream….
Excellent advice. You can’t make everyone happy and not everyone is going to like your work. Create for the ones that do. They will find you. A great quote by Steve Jobs. Thank you for sharing. Take care.
Exactly. Couldn’t have said it better myself! 🙂
Yup–“Do YOU to the best of your abilities” Everybody else is taken anyway. I think I heard/read that somewhere, and it’s true. We don’t need more copies of what’s already out there. I’m very glad God made each of us unique–we should embrace and celebrate that!
Oscar Wilde famously said that 🙂 Exactly! We were made to be unique and we should definitely embrace and celebrate it!
Great advice. I really needed it. Right read at the right moment! Thank you.
I’m so glad you received value from it. It’s my absolute pleasure! 🙂
I got my much needed inspiration from your post! Thank you so much! It’s true. It doesn’t matter if you are terrible as long as you are yourself.
I’m so incredibly glad to hear that! It’s my pleasure! 🙂
Absolutely. Just do your thing and be yourself. Most importantly, enjoy your process. It will eventually lead to something 🙂
I like the idea of playing with opposites: great movie-poor movie. Creating something going for intentionally bad as a foundational product upon which to build, actually releases anxiety over criticism in first products that feeds procrastination and fear of failure before one ever begins. Better yet is the underlying suggestion that creative product more readily springs forth from play than from work or trying.
Playing with opposites is a great idea to spark creativity and free oneself from the fear of failure.
That’s very true. It’s something I incorporate in my photography. Sometimes I try the complete opposite of what I would normally do. Sometimes I surprise myself, or it sucks. But that’s where original ideas can come from.
This post made me laugh and encouraged me at the same time! You are so right!
This post made me laugh, at the same time encouraged me to respect my own opinion and move forward!
You should definitely respect your own opinion. We care too much about other’s criticism, and not enough about our own.
We like the way you think !
Too many people live their lives vicariously through their screens !
The sun is hot, rain is wet, snow is cold and dust gets into your eyes ……….
You will never find that out, for real, if you do not go outside and experience it yourself !
Thank you! 🙂
Absolutely! The world is our playground, let’s get out there and explore! 😀
Have a great day!
Great advice, especially since I am such a critic of myself and really get down on myself. I need to loosen up and try new and different things.