To Become a Master: Just Write Those Bad Pages!
“To create we have to take the bad with the good. We’re bound to write bad paragraphs along with good ones. That’ s the eternal law. We can get rid of those bad paragraphs later on, but first we must write them. Otherwise we won’t write anything at all.
If we try to write only the good ones we are three-quarters of the way toward paralysis. The name that we have coined for this problem is “perfectionism.” How wonderful can our writing  be, if it is tied to the idea that only gems must emerge from our pen?” Eric Maisel
Maisel, an experienced creativity coach, compares those gems to piles of perfect, genetically modified tomatoes in a supermarket, and asks us to take a cue from a bin of apricots; filled with perfect fruit, rock hard fruit and spotted leftovers. A real character builder.
- When you expect only perfect – how can you really honor the creative process?
- Can this be still called “creating”?
- Who decides what is perfect?
- Do the critics and the judges create art themselves or are they just observers?
- Are things you consider perfect also perfect for others?
- Are the things you love most, really perfect?
- Can “perfect” ever be a part of an artistic language?
These are some of the questions you can ask yourself when you are stuck in the process.
I know the frustration, when for months nothing special comes from underneath our pens, and brushes. We are waiting for a masterpiece and attach our self of self worth to it. And at the same time PLAY is a friend of CREATIVITY. Detach your self worth from the bad pages. Be thankful for every bad page, as it brings you closer to the great one. You showed up at your workspace. That’s most important.
More here about the Mind and The Creative Process