If You Don’t Take a Deep Dive, You’ll Never Really Learn What You Are Capable Of
If you create to learn about yourself, going deeper is essential
If you’re an artist, it is a solo gallery show. If you’re a writer, it’s a book. Musicians? An album’s worth of original music, recorded and distributed. These are deep creative dives and they separate the pros from the amateurs. Here’s why.
You learn a lot more about yourself
The effort required to do a long form creative effort is a totally different experience than doing small things here and there. It marks the leap from amatuer to professional. I have nothing against being an amatuer but I still encourage any creative person to try something more challenging within your discipline. Not only will you have an intense learning experience, you’ll find things within yourself that you may never have expected.
Doing something like writing a book or putting together enough original artwork to carry a solo gallery show requires a degree of commitment to both your ideas and skill level that shorter, one-off projects lack. You’ll encounter doubt, frustration, moments of great clarity, and ultimately, an appreciation for the depths you are able to tap into when you push your limits.
