A Disproportionate Nose
The vision is always grand at the beginning.
I will paint a portrait of my sister and it will be magnificent.
Or write a song that will sound like a dream in the key of D.
There’s an organization that will change the world in my head.
My book will be Hemingway prose on a Tolstoy scale.
You do the work. And that’s commendable.
But nothing comes out the way it was in your head.
The draft of your book is more like an 8th-grade essay than Tolstoy or Hemingway.
Starting an organization that makes a difference is harder and more complicated than you thought.
My song sucks.
My sister has a disproportionate nose.
Very few things come out the way you see it in your head - the first time.
Then you have two options. Give up in despair and frustration. I can’t write. Social entrepreneurship must not be my thing. I can’t draw.
Or call it finished. Iterate. And start again.
The possibilities of the “show up every day, butt in the chair, do the work” mentality are endless. A manual labor mindset will get you a lot further than a creative diva mindset, whatever you’re making.
Over time and with (deliberate) practice, you’ll get the nose right.
