The Gap
A reflection on the gap between creative aspirations and initial skill level, encouraging persistence and volume of work to bridge the divide, as expressed by Ira Glass.
LinkThe Gap
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... See more
There is a time for any fledgling artist where one's taste exceeds one's abilities. The only way to get through this period is to make things anyway.
Gabrielle Zevin • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A novel
from the radio producer Ira Glass, on feeling disappointed by your own work:
All of us who do creative work...get into it because we have good taste. But there’s a gap. For the first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making...It’s not that great. It’s really not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’... See more
Celine Nguyen • The Divine Discontent
Everybody I know who does interesting, creative work they went through years where they had really good taste and they could tell that what they were making wasn't as good as they wanted it to be. They knew it fell short. Everybody goes through that.
Ira Glass • THE GAP by Ira Glass
And if you are just starting out or if 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. 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. It is only by going through a volume of work that you're going to... See more