There’s Only One Piece of Advice That Matters For Early Creators
The mentors ahead will all tell you the same thing: keep going
You’re making NYC vlogs on a Boosted Board. You’re writing long essays about Stoic philosophy. You’re building a gig delivery business. It’s all fun and games in the name of “stealing like an artist.” Austin Kleon approves.
But there’s this lingering thought in the back of your mind that you can’t shake — are you a phony? You’re imitating, not innovating. There’s an imposter inside of you waiting to be discovered. Let’s build a fortress.
Ira Glass tells you not to worry. This might just be the “taste gap.” He says, your job is to keep doing the work, closing the gap between your current work and your taste. You’ve got really good taste, he says. But you haven’t reached your potential (yet).
Oh, the sweet promise of potential. Is it real, or made up? I’m not sure. No one ever is. But will you allow yourself the space to find out? Will you allow yourself to start small, to stumble, to fall? The creative demons come at night. Anne Lamotte’s K’FKD is blasting in your ears. You realize you aren’t original. Are you even an artist? Do you even want to be?
A friend tells you about this old French philosopher, Rene Girard. The mentor to…
