So let’s say you’ve worked on this thing for a considerable period of time; it might be a piece of music, narrative fiction, a movie, software, an invention of some sort, a process improvement for work, anything really. You keep chipping away at it, looking at it from different perspectives, trying to make it as good as you possibly can.
And then the day comes where you realize it’s not going to get any better. In fact, if you keep fucking with it, it’s only going to get worse.
So that’s the moment.
You’ve got to let it go.
The really scary thing about all this is all internal though – because you can’t fail as long as you’re you’re “still working on it.” Its only once it’s done that it can be judged on its own merits. But here’s the thing: most people never even get to this point. It’s just too hard, and for what? To maybe see that no one cares?
Thinking this is a big mistake: failure is part of success. It’s not only how you get better, it’s your only chance at hoping to be great. Fail, fail, fail, fail, succeed. It’s the name of this blog for Christ’s sake.
Besides, one of the most common cognitive distortions artists have is not being able to separate themselves from their art. Just because someone thinks something you made is shite is no reflection on who you are.
Regardless, I just packed up a baby and sent it out into the world. Now it has to live or die on its own. Bon voyage!