Zen Pencils by Gavin Aung Than for February 17, 2025
February 10, 2025
All caught up!
Transcript:
Nobody tells people who are beginners… …is that all of us who do creative work… …we get into it… …because we have good taste. RABBIT SEASON But there’s a gap. For the first couple of years what you’re making isn’t so good. BUGS BUNNY It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good… …but it’s not quite that good. SNAP But your taste, the thing that got you into the game… …is still killer. Calvin and Hobbes AKIRA And your taste is good enough that you can tell what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you. A lot of people never get past that phase. A lot of people at that point. SCRUNCH …they quit. Everybody who does interesting, creative work, went through a phase of years where they had really good taste but they could tell what they were making wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be. They knew it fell short. It didn’t have this special thing that we wanted it to have. Everybody goes through that. IT’S TOTALLY NORMAL. And the most important possible thing you can do is a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week or every month you know you’re going to finish one story. Because it’s only by actually going through a volume of work that you’re going to catch up and close that gap. And the work you’re making will be as good as your ambitions. It’s going to take you awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You just have to fight your way though. - Ira Glass ZEN PENCILS
FreyjaRN Premium Member 4 days ago
All true. I’m a trained first soprano, and I worked for years before I won competitions. Small, rural ones, but I finally did it.
Willywise52 Premium Member 4 days ago
Nice surprise ending!!!
joe.altmaier 4 days ago
Survivor bias?
Vet Premium Member 4 days ago
I started off knowing nothing about my job. 43 years later I am still learning and developing. Even though I am the Master. I am still and always a Student.
Bruce1253 4 days ago
There is something called the 10,000 hr rule. It says that it takes 10,000 hrs to master a new skill. That is the equivalent of 5 yrs of 8 hr days, every day.
Thehag 4 days ago
’Inspiration exists but it has to find you working. ’- Pablo Picasso
Durak Premium Member 4 days ago
The one thing that I didn’t like was the part where it didn’t say, “You’re never too old to start!”
Read “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.
Teto85 Premium Member 4 days ago
In the “…is still killer” panel I have those works and the last two in both video and dead tree format
ferddo 4 days ago
It is very true that it takes a lot of work and perseverance to become able to produce great creative works, but it also takes special talent. Some of us are unable to make what we visualize come out into physical form. I bow to and appreciate those with that special talent.
Rocky Premium Member 4 days ago
Outstanding! You are an inspiration !
bestframeforward Premium Member 3 days ago
Love to see a personal one! And it’s safe to say going by these influences that YOUR taste is definitely spot on :D
As a career creative myself (photographer), this really resonated with me. I had never read this before, and I love it, and the visual story you told. Thank you!!