The First Mistake Most Creatives Make

I’ve made many mistakes in my creative career and will likely make many more. But today, I want to talk with you about my biggest regret and a mistake I see many creatives making every day.

And that is the mistake of waiting.

I’ve wasted days, months, and even years telling myself that I’m being “patient” - when, in reality, I’m waiting for the stars to align before I get moving.

There are four kinds of waiting that aren’t helpful to creative work:

Waiting for Permission:

I love learning and growing, but my confidence in things like degrees has waned quite a bit over the years. Our school system is built on the idea that we need a permission slip for the work we want to do.

I do understand and believe that there are fields of work that do need permission to move forward. For example, I don’t want someone cutting me open in surgery simply because they want to - doctors need to earn permission to do their work.

But when it comes to creative work, school is a great place to improve your craft, but you don’t need to wait for a degree to get going. Go ahead and start making stuff and share it as you go.

Waiting for Perfection:

I get it. You want it to be “just right.” Sharing our creative work is scary and vulnerable. We are afraid of our “bad” work tainting our good work. But the reality is the opposite of what we fear: our bad work helps us get to our good work. And in today’s online world, people enjoy seeing your process of growth and improvement.

Also, repetition beats perfection every time. I’ve heard of multiple studies like the one mentioned here on James Clear’s blog. In summary, one group of photography students is tasked with taking the best photo they can every day. The other group of students is assigned with trying to take one perfect shot by the end of the semester. Which group ends up having a better photo at the end? The group who took a picture each day. Every picture wasn’t great. But the students were able to learn from their mistakes and failures. Their mistakes showed them where to improve. They also learned their own taste, style and the techniques that best fit them, highlighted their creative strengths, and allowed them to produce their best work.

Do your best with everything you make. But cringe is unavoidable, and it’s best not to wait for things to be “perfect.” Just get started, get going, and improve along the way.

Waiting To Be Picked

This is a big one among musicians and artists. Most artists believe they need to be picked by the right person. Once plucked from the crowd, their dreams and longings for success will magically be fulfilled, and they will be set free to do their most creative work.

I cringe at how long I’ve waited to be noticed and “picked” by the “right” people. It was time wasted when I could have spent that time making things that serve my people.

Also, the world doesn’t work the way we imagine it does. If someone chooses to help you do your creative work - it’s not out of the goodness of their heart. I don’t mean that they have ill-intent. But it is good to know that they need a reason to help you. And usually, that reason is monetary. They want to make money. Making money isn’t bad. It’s actually a good thing. And if a label, manager, or whoever is knocking on your door, it’s because they believe they can partner with you as a business. In short, they believe that, by helping you, they could make money. It’s important that we see these relationships for what they are - they are business partnerships, not magical godmothers. Warning to the wise: be cautious of anyone who presents themself as your fairy godmother, ready to make all your dreams come true. They are likely not. And there is likely something in it for them (and potentially to your detriment). Don’t be intoxicated by flattery: think it through and ask good questions.

If you take a deep dive into the lives of most successful artists, you will see that they treat their creative work as a business. Though they have business partnerships (labels, etc.), they see it as their responsibility to grow and develop the business with or without a partner’s help.

Don’t wait to get picked - go find your people (audience). Spend more time serving people who might enjoy your creativity than you do trying to get the attention of the industry elite.

Waiting for People

Lastly, don’t wait for people to come to you. This is one of the biggest reasons why you should be posting often on things like social media. There has never been a better time to let people know about the things you are creating and to gather a bunch of friends who love your work.

I know many artists and creatives cringe at the idea of “promoting” themselves, but I think it’s just a faulty way of looking at what’s happening. By sharing your work, you’re attracting the kind of people that would love what you do. Your audience doesn’t know about what you make unless you tell them. No one can buy or engage with your work if they don’t know it exists.

Stop waiting for people to come to you; go to them! Find where your people hang out online or otherwise, be a part of the community, and share what you have to give.