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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Startup Philosophy

This post has been in my drafts for months. I decided to finally publish it because the emotions are still there.

Be Kind to Yourself-Hand Embroidered Hoop with Vintage Lace

// $20 //

My mojo is always in flux. That's true in general, but especially with respect to blogging. I frequently mention the ups and downs of my mood, but I hope you can tolerate a little more dwelling on the topic.

I feel genuinely enthusiastic about, say, 15% of the photos that end up on here. The visuals in my last two posts both disappointed me. (Here & here, if you're curious.) I expect myself to be a better photographer, or at least a more consistent one, given that I have access to good equipment and know the basics of how to use it. I wish I could remember that mastering a craft takes a long time.

Bill Gates said (or maybe wrote, I dunno), "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years." The point is that people expect fantastic short-term results and disregard the potential long-term payoff. I find that plausible. Another tech titan, Mark Zuckerberg, emblazoned the Facebook offices with this encouraging-yet-hardass maxim: "Done is better than perfect."

What I'm saying is that I create content for a blog post almost every day, and it's unrealistic for me to expect constant fabulousness. It's not that I should be satisfied with mediocrity, but that I shouldn't be so damn harsh. Beating myself up doesn't make me more skillful or entertaining. In fact, it decreases my motivation.

17 comments :

  1. I think it's so wonderful that you produce original content seven days a week! I look forward to your posts every day. :)

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    1. Thank you so much! I really appreciate that :)

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  2. I keep reading your blog because I can sense a real person behind the screen. That's hard to do online!

    I had another blog that I felt under constant pressure to improve and finally I just left it behind. Now I only post when I want to. I only take photos when I feel like it. And I try not to feel guilty about it. No need to wear yourself out!

    - Leah, http://stylewiseguide.com

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    1. Back atcha, Leah! I'm always most interested in a blog when I enjoy the other person's personality. And thank you for the great advice <3

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  3. I agree. Perfectionism is the thief of joy. Perfection is impossible! Forget perfection! I go for good enough!

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    1. Hell yeah--good enough is as good as it gets! =P

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  4. I agree with Leah, I can really feel your personality expressed through your photos and words. Most of the other fashion blogs I look at focus only on the pieces of clothing, not on their feelings behind the outfit or their mood that day, and I think that's one of the reasons I always look forward to reading your blog. I struggle with perfectionism when it comes to my photos too, I often have to force myself to post them anyway, and try to ignore the urge to explain why my photos aren't perfect on that particular day. We're always our own worst critics!

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    1. Ain't that the truth! Thank you so much, Sarah.

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  5. Thank you! I totally agree. I always expect myself to be better in the same way - my photgraphic skills, etc. but if I were to even go back 1 year and look at photos I have taken, you see a distinct improvement. I think we just expect ourselves to constantly be better, and always compare ourselves to others, not realizing everyone started in the same place

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  6. This might as well have been written about my thesis. I know precisely how you feel, Sonya. *pats shoulder in sympathy*. You and I will both just have to keep working on these feelings - but know you're not alone!

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  7. As with many things, the more you do something, the better you'll get at it. I have anxiety about the photos on my blog sometimes, but if you look at the ones I posted when I started it a year ago there's a huge difference. (Spoiler: The old ones are laughably shitty.) Don't expect perfection every time, but always aim for improvement!

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  8. I applaud that fact that even with your mojo in flux, you still post everyday. It's admirable to me, because generally when I feel like crap I can't even fathom writing on my blog.

    Done is better than perfect? I think I can relate to this. Especially in jewelry making, where you could easily file and file something and it will never be exactly what you want because metal is such a hard thing to work with. My teacher has told me to just keep going when I got stuck on one aspect and just couldn't keep going until it was "perfect". I ended up finishing it and it turned out great!

    Also - I notice that it's easy to give up on something if expectations are too high for mastering something. Some people are naturally inclined to things, but there is so much to learn. It feels like there is an infinite well of information out there and it can be overwhelming sometimes.

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    1. Another saying that I could have put in this post comes from my mom's writing teacher: "Under-commit and over-perform." I do this with writing, actually. I pledged to myself that I'll add 100 words a day to my long-term projects, which is a really small amount, so it stays manageable and I actually do it, instead of giving up. Thank you for commenting, Danielle!

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  9. I love these quotes you shared here. Done is definitely better than perfect! I tend to have the same outlook with what I post on my blog sometimes. It's probably not as bad as I think and I will almost always judge more harshly than my readers. I applaud you for posting frequently even if you're not feeling 100% or feeling like the content isn't the best ever. It can only improve if you keep doing it!

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    1. Very true! Thanks for the encouragement, Jamie <3

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