Judging Your Work
I have noticed lately that I have not been finishing illustrations or sharing them because I feel like they are garbage. But, the pile of unshared work was growing and I felt like I had nothing to lose. I started sharing some of the final illustrations that had never left Procreate. I was shocked to find that some people really loved the work I was sharing.
I subscribe to James Clear’s weekly newsletter and there could not have been a more perfectly timed quote-
We cannot predict the value of our work will provide to the world. That’s fine. It is not our job to judge our own work. it is our job to create it, to pour ourselves into it, and to master our craft as best we can.
-James Clear
We have no idea how people will react to our creative work unless we share it. This relates back to last weeks post on quality and quantity. You have nothing to lose by making work non-stop and sharing it with people. You get better as a creator (whatever your craft of choice is), and get feedback from people on what is working and what isn’t working. I can’t think of any downsides to this approach.
I found an article on Austin Kleon’s blog on why he keeps blogging after 15 years. I think these three points can help you stick to creating when you go through a tough spot.
To leave a trace. Placing your permanent stake on a corner of the internet.
To figure out what you have to say. Austin is talking about blogging in this case, but it could be applied to any creative field.
Because I like it. This is extremely important and something people forget about these days. Making money is nice, but having something you love to work on just for fun is nice. You never know where it will lead, and its much easier to remain disciplined if you enjoy the work.
I write some of these blog posts as reminders for myself. Creativity is hard as hell sometimes, but you just gotta keep going. Thanks for reading friends.