The Lost Cause of a MASTERPIECE.
"The uncomfortable reality of a MASTERPIECE is that it encourages creative-sequestration: if you know you won’t be able to do something well, you’re less likely to try, in order to avoid failure (or less-than-masterpiece)...Today, masterpiece is a moving target. An idea that means something different for every single word you write."
Have you ever found yourself glaring at a blank cursor blinking back at you on the screen, held back from writing the first word because you can't seem to find the right way to add your final period?
Usually, when this happens, I close my laptop and walk away. I chalk it up to a "lack of inspiration" and move on to something I'm more confident that I can handle without a pause in that moment. Web-Designing, Reading Books, PS4, to name a few.
According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, Masterpiece is defined as "a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship."
In the creative process, masterpiece is a lost cause. One man's "masterpiece" is another man's "can we see it a different way?" - the path to arrive at a masterpiece, in our line of work, leads to nowhere.
Masterpiece is a moving target.
One that cannot simply be arrived at, but that with the right efforts at the right time, that sweet spot of Masterpiece can be found.
The trick then to hitting that moving target (blinking cursor), is to move with it (write along it). Because there's beauty in effort and there's much to be said for trying, failing, and trying again.
A wise woman named Cher once said, "Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great."
I can't - and no one can - tell you where your pursuit will lead. But it will lead somewhere. And somewhere is good. Somewhere’ s much farther than the blank cursor blinking on a blank screen will take you.
Write down your first word. Look foolish. Redefine your work and keep tinkering, iterating, and dreaming toward the possibility of writing your “Masterpiece” !!
Have you ever found yourself glaring at a blank cursor blinking back at you on the screen, held back from writing the first word because you can't seem to find the right way to add your final period?
Usually, when this happens, I close my laptop and walk away. I chalk it up to a "lack of inspiration" and move on to something I'm more confident that I can handle without a pause in that moment. Web-Designing, Reading Books, PS4, to name a few.
According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, Masterpiece is defined as "a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship."
In the creative process, masterpiece is a lost cause. One man's "masterpiece" is another man's "can we see it a different way?" - the path to arrive at a masterpiece, in our line of work, leads to nowhere.
Masterpiece is a moving target.
One that cannot simply be arrived at, but that with the right efforts at the right time, that sweet spot of Masterpiece can be found.
The trick then to hitting that moving target (blinking cursor), is to move with it (write along it). Because there's beauty in effort and there's much to be said for trying, failing, and trying again.
A wise woman named Cher once said, "Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great."
I can't - and no one can - tell you where your pursuit will lead. But it will lead somewhere. And somewhere is good. Somewhere’ s much farther than the blank cursor blinking on a blank screen will take you.
Write down your first word. Look foolish. Redefine your work and keep tinkering, iterating, and dreaming toward the possibility of writing your “Masterpiece” !!
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