Iterations and Being Bad

It’s taken me a while to be comfortable with the fact that most of what I create is bad, or, at the very least, ok. Perhaps, in the past, I‘ve instinctively tried to hide this because of my ego, culture, some Platonic ideal, or a lethal cocktail of all these things (and maybe more). Whatever the reason, I can see that it’s kept me from taking more action. And a lack of action will always keep everyone from the ever important commitment to iterate.

When I think of iterations I picture software releases. There’s versions 1.0, then 1.1, then 1.46, etc. Eventually the software creator’s hope is to get to 7.1, or 1002.742 and beyond. With each update there are bugs that are squashed, tiny evolutions to the UI, and updated features. Some of these are big leaps, but most of the time they’re small. Constant improvement is the goal though. My phone’s App Store notifications reminds me of this regularly. This is the nature of iteration. It takes the tortoise and not the hare approach and goes mostly under the radar.

I can’t help but think iteration is at the heart of all creations worth paying attention to. Not every song Mozart wrote was famous, brilliant, or worth hearing. Not every Picasso sells for the same amount. In fact, it’s the few famous pieces that make digging into all the lesser known works worthy of intrigue. Maybe this is because it adds insight into the journey. Mozart’s Minuet and Trio in G major isn’t Requiem and a Picasso sketch isn’t Guernica. They may be breadcrumbs though. And even though some might get lucky with having a single creation becoming noteworthy, iterating is a long term tactic within our control. Luck on the other hand…

If I take the concept of iteration to heart, then improvement is always within reach. In the case of something not working, I gain understanding as opposed to failure. There will be a next time and a tomorrow. And when you’re in it for the long haul, odds only increase that something remarkable (or worthy of remark) will show itself. This is why I’ve become ok with being bad.