Oh, to be good at something!

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through." — Ira Glass

My sister-in-law, Gracie, is in college trying to figure out what in the world to do with her life. How I remember those days. How I screwed up those days.

All my life I have loved beautiful things -- in an abnormal way. It took me years to realize that not everyone's heart flutters over the perfectly orange fabric that goes perfectly with the perfectly blue fabric. Not everyone is willing to sit in an entirely unsuitable house because it's just not worth it to move into a slightly less unsuitable house. "If we move, it will be to the incredibly almost perfectly suitable house." 

Anyway, I ignored the things I loved and loved to do in college. I pursued the logical, the financially prudent, and the socially acceptable. 

When I drew a picture and it wasn't great, I assumed it meant that I shouldn't draw. When I sewed clothing and it didn't look quite right, I assumed it meant I shouldn't design clothes. When I decorated and it looked kind of cheesy, I assumed it meant that I didn't have good taste. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

I wasn't willing to work toward mastery, toward perfection. I couldn't deal with being bad at the things I loved. I mean, if you're bad at the things you love, where does that leave you? To be bad at everything? To be good at the things you hate? I couldn't bear it. So I shoved the things I loved into the small, protected corners of my life and pretended they didn't matter. Oh, the deep regret!

At 42, I realize that I have a knack for talking to large groups, party planning, and making pretty things. I just need practice. Lots of practice. I've got to be willing to be bad at something -- to (GASP!) fail.

What I'm saying is, don't try to be an accountant if your soul wants to paint pictures. Vice versa, if you live to count stuff, don't quit trying to be an accountant -- even if you don't always get the math right.

Does that make sense, Gracie? Do what you love, even if you're not very good at it right now. You will be. 

Comments

[Gracie]

By the way, yes, it makes perfect sense :)

[Gracie]

Thanks, Jennifer! I finally got around to reading it. And it definitely has me thinking some more. And thinking I need to come spend another day at the Stanford's house soon cause I love talking to you about life.

[Kayla]

Great reminder Jennifer! I think I'll go write something...:)