On a creative front, there are few things more debilitating than the notion of a ‘perfect launch’.
 
Resisting the idea that everything must be flawless from the get-go not only allows us to get out of heads, but it gives us permission to evolve.
 
Here are three examples of some successful things that weren’t perfect on ‘day one’…
 
David Bowie – www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SQdBxVjZx4
 
iPhone – wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_(1st_generation)
 
The Office – youtu.be/K6RFwnujWdc?feature=shared&t=90
 
Perhaps the modern world has forged a stifling sense of personal omnipresence. If every action feels documented and permanent, maybe we’re less willing to iterate in public and in real time. But, creatively at least, we need to resist this seduction to play it safe.
 
That doesn’t mean don’t plan and don’t bother forging a strategy for projects; but we should keep in mind the fact that most things of value benefited as much from contact with reality as they did careful planning.
 
In the life of an artist, true freedom might simply be the opportunity to evolve.  
 
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The Thoughts of Others
 
“The strategy for the discoverers is to rely less on top-down planning and focus on maximum tinkering and recognising opportunities when they present themselves. The strategy is, then, to tinker as much as possible and try to collect as many black swan opportunities as you can.” – Nassim Taleb
 
“Whether professionals have a chance to develop intuitive expertise depends essentially on the quality and speed of feedback, as well as on sufficient opportunity to practice.” – Daniel Kahneman