Create bad art

Texto en español aquí

As a novice writer, I always face the dichotomy between what I want to write and what I actually end up writing. The first one, the idea that I have in my head, is clear and usually well-formed, with a smooth flow, characters that know what they want and act on their own judgment, and concise and sharp scenes. The second one, the words on paper, tends to be much more confusing and chaotic, with some pinches of good prose mixed generously with clumsy sentences, inappropriate words, characters that only imply an intention, and a rhythm that fluctuates between harsh exposition, unclear action at times, and superfluous details. I won’t say that everything I write is bad, but it’s hard for me to be satisfied with the scenes I end up writing.

I know that writing isn’t just “writing”, and that’s it, but it requires a process of editing and rewriting, cutting, changing, and adjusting until we are satisfied with the result. But when I read what I’ve written, I end up feeling poorly about my skills, something that discourages me greatly and burdens me when trying to continue.

I know this is just a matter of the gap between my taste and my abilities, as Ira Glass explains it here, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t discourage me.

But not all is lost. Although I haven’t been able to find any studies or scientific evidence on the subject, it seems that artistic quality can improve with quantity (examples here, here and here). I know it sounds dumb to say that if you practice, you improve, but it seems that in creative arts we always look for good quality in our first attempt, betting all on talent, instead of combining it with effort and willingness to improve.

That’s why we must create art, even if it is bad art. We have to practice like athletes at the training field, trying new ways to do things or improving a technique, failing here and there until we achieve that bit of progress we were seeking. But this should not be a blind effort, just making for the sake of making, but being aware of what we are practicing, and learning from our mistakes and successes. We must use what is called deliberate practice to try to improve.

Following on the athletes analogy, they are only facing the public when they compete, but few people know about the attempts, hours and effort that have been dedicated in the training field until getting there. And we should do the same with respect to art. Practice, fail, correct, sweat, get angry because what we’ve done is not what we expected, but go back day after day, again and again, knowing that only those who try can truly improve.

So create bad art, and follow the wise advice of Jake, the dog: Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.