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comment by cwenham
cwenham  ·  4013 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How do you generate ideas and how do you keep track them?

I'm replying to this just after @humanodon, so I'll begin by pointing over there and agreeing with it.

Buy or borrow the DVD for Pixar's The Incredibles and watch the special features. They show storyboard sketches for an early idea they had for the beginning of the movie, and it is cringe-worthy. It's not that bad, but it's cliche--a "psst! These guys are actually superheroes, but noone at their backyard barbecue really know it!" opening. They toyed with it for a while, then dumped the idea in favor of what was evolving to be the movie we'd see in the cinema.

Early efforts almost always suck, and the best artists are the ones who abhor their early work, but some pieces will suck slightly less than other pieces. As you read more good fiction, look at more good art, listen to more good music, you start to develop a taste that helps you identify which pieces of your early work are less crap than other pieces.

They may still suck, but now you cannibalize them and try again with something else. Again, most of it sucks, but some pieces suck less than others. Maybe an idea or two will survive more than two or three generations, but the more you do it the more nuggets you get that have been bred for survival. After a while (which can be decades--you might have heard of the "10,000 hour" rule) a lot of your stuff is better than crap.

You should watch another movie (a documentary, actually), and one that I didn't see until last night when I couldn't sleep: Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Near the end, the 3-star Michelin reviewed sushi chef laments that he doesn't have the nose of his favorite french chef. Sense of smell is paramount, especially when you're serving raw fish, and while Jiro considers his nose to be very good, he thinks it doesn't hold a candle to Joel Robuchon.

We simultaneously learn two things: the ability to sense what's good is instrumental in being able to produce good things, and someone who thinks his senses are bollocks compared to another guy can still be a freekin' 3-star Michelin chef.

Jiro, like you and I, is intensely self-critical. He sees his success as the product of constant refinement, getting a little bit less crap each year through practice, experimentation, dedication and inspiration.

As for introverts living in a world of extroverts, it is a source of constant stress. Most of the population are extroverts, which I think is partially why contacts and networking are so important. Extroverts tend to think in terms of people, introverts tend to think in terms of things. An extrovert is more likely to pick someone he knows, an introvert is more likely to scrutinize a CV and study portfolios. Ah well.

Don't compare yourself to anyone of any age, especially if they're doing things that you don't really want to do. Take some time to really think about what you want and what you think you want. Kickstarters and businesses might be what you want, or you might only think that's what you want. Give them a shot if you want to be sure, but if you find that you're not enjoying it, then it's not what you really want.

Expertise and creativity take years to develop, and all endeavors that lead to success take daily, habitual effort, and you won't find the energy to keep that up for years and years unless you really like doing it.