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What does it take to be “good enough”?
You’re closer than you think...
Hey there —
What will it take for you to feel “good enough” to pursue your creative goals?
🧑🎓 Graduating with an arts degree?
📚 Reading one more bestselling book on creative development?
📷 Buying the latest design software or top-of-the-line camera?
It’s normal to feel like you have to reach a certain level before you can start that manuscript or art piece or YouTube channel you’ve always dreamed of creating.
(And of course there’s nothing wrong with pursuing further education or upgrading your gear.)
But what if we told you that you don’t need any of those things?
Expanding your knowledge and abilities is something you should definitely work toward as a creator. But be careful that you don’t begin chasing the elusive feeling of being “good enough,” of being “ready” — only to delay your own dreams in the process.
Because the problem with “good enough” (as we tend to see it) is that it’s a moving target.
There will always be one more level of education you could achieve, one more mind-blowing concept to learn, one more advancement in technology…all the things that promise to give you the confidence and ability to (finally) do the thing.
And even once you do get started, that feeling of not being good enough doesn’t simply disappear.
Ira Glass describes this ongoing struggle as the “taste gap”:
“All of us who do creative work…we get into it because we have good taste. But it’s like there’s a gap…for the first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good. But your taste — the thing that got you into the game — your taste is still killer, and your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you.”
Glass, whose own journey from NPR intern to award-winning host of This American Life took 17 years, points out that everyone goes through this phase, and that the most important thing you can do is a lot of work.
“It’s only by actually going through a volume of work that you are actually going to catch up and close that gap. And the work you’re making will be as good as your ambitions. It’s gonna take you a while — it’s normal to take a while. And you just have to fight your way through that.”
The key isn’t to reach a certain level and then take action. It’s to take action so that you can reach the next level.
So instead of waiting until you feel “good enough” to start (only to never get started at all), realize that you’re already good enough to take the first step.
Stop worrying about whether you have enough knowledge, the right experience, or the perfect tools and use what you have right now.
Stop procrastinating and start practicing. Make the thing. And then do it again, and again, and again.
Because with each imperfect attempt you’ll get even better, bringing you one step closer to closing the gap — and achieving your dreams. 💫
How “worthsplaining” is impacting your wellbeing — and how to stop
by Dayna McAlpine
Think back to the last time you turned down a request or invitation. How long did it take you to come up with a “legitimate” excuse to say no? 🤔
“Well, I’d love to, but I have a huge project at work and I have to dog-sit for a friend on Tuesday and then take Emma to karate on Thursday and I really want to take the weekend to just rest…”
This is “worthsplaining”: the tendency to over-explain your actions and decisions to avoid being judged by others. And it could be having a serious impact on your mental health.
Thankfully, by getting to the root of why you feel the need to worthsplain, you can break this unhealthy habit and make decisions without needing to justify them — to yourself or anyone else.
15 stunning art journal ideas
by Shihori Obata
A journaling practice doesn’t have to be just about words.
This compilation of art-journaling examples and tutorials can help you transform your Moleskine’s pages into a beautiful gallery of paintings, sketches, and collages.
(Just remember, your art doesn’t have to be as “perfect” as any example — the whole point of art is to express yourself and make it unique to you! 🧑🎨)
Too Good to Go app
By Emoji Kitchen
Ever wondered what an avo-cat-o would look like in emoji?
Wonder no more…
Emoji Kitchen is an emoji-mashup sticker tool that breaks free of Unicode in an attempt to make our digital language even more creative and expressive. (You can read more about it in this humorous substack from one of Emoji Kitchen’s chefs, Jennifer Daniel.)
If you’re an Android user, Emoji Kitchen is available in Gboard. But for everyone else, you can play mad scientist in your browser.
QUESTION
How do you deal with the fear of failure?
— Anonymous
ANSWER
As someone with perfectionist tendencies, I can definitely relate to this. The fear of failure used to follow me around like a shadow. But there is one mindset I’ve implemented that’s helped me keep my inner critic at bay.
My mom had a catch phrase for my siblings and me growing up. Whenever we were nervously preparing for an exam, school play, or big game, she’d tell us: “Just do your best. That’s all you can do.”
Wholesome, right? But it’s also advice that works well for us as adults. If you’re struggling with the fear of failing, the key is to focus on the effort and not the outcome.
If you really tried your best to get a date for your friend’s wedding or to nail that presentation, and it completely goes sideways…sure, it’s still a punch to the gut. But at least you gave it your best shot. And this one small setback is actually one small step toward doing better next time.
Give yourself permission to fail. I promise it’s not going to be as bad as you think.
— Matt
Got a question for the Slow Growth team? Click here to send it our way!
Written by Ashley Martin
Edited by Matt D'Avella & Kerstin Sheppard