howdy do it: a little ira glass wisdom
Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.
— Ira Glass (via nefffy, by way of Fresh Air, by way of Yarn Yumminess)
Ira Glass press photo by Stuart Mullenberg via UAB
Responses to “howdy do it: a little ira glass wisdom”
Bryna Faye Shields
May 5, 2011 at 12:14 pmWow, thanks so much for posting this! I am in that “beginning stage” trying to find my voice and vision as I design away. Every day, I always feel somewhat unaccomplished, because I have the perpetual feeling of everything “not happening fast enough”. But after reading this, I feel like I can breathe! Thanks for the encouraging words.
Dora B.
May 5, 2011 at 12:31 pmHm, so true. I’m still in the “getting there” phase, but looking back on where I started, I’ve come a long way already. Not sure there really is a final destination of “there,” just the journey of getting better.
krista {urbanite jewelry}
May 5, 2011 at 2:39 pmThis…is AMAZING, Ellie! THANK you for sharing it. Bookmarking, printing, circling it.
Trude
May 5, 2011 at 3:52 pmGod that makes me feel better! It’s always nice to find you’re not alone, right? :)
allison cecil
May 5, 2011 at 7:04 pmI remember hearing him say this on an episode of TAL and it made so much sense since it is so true!
Ashley Stuart
May 5, 2011 at 8:48 pmWell said. Love him. I’m definitely going through it and according to Ira, I will be for a while! Great post!
Karyn
May 5, 2011 at 10:37 pmPerfect.
Thank you.
Cindy
May 5, 2011 at 11:33 pmThis was beautiful and I’m so thankful to you for sharing. I am definitely in that phase right now, trying to get into a creative career but not loving what I’m making. It’s giving me a lot of hope for the future!
Cody Marie Bloomfield
May 6, 2011 at 12:38 amI love Ira Glass’s voice. His narration of ‘This American Life’ is incendiary. Incendiary.
johanna
May 6, 2011 at 1:09 pmi love ira. this was a great reminder. thanks.
thezenofmaking
May 6, 2011 at 5:07 pmAs always (and somewhat frustratingly), Ira Glass is spot on. Thanks for sharing!
red or gray art
May 7, 2011 at 10:17 pmwow . did I need to read this .
Bre
May 8, 2011 at 6:32 pmI love this. Ira Glass was in my town last week speaking, but I wasn’t able to get tickets unfortunately. Thanks for sharing! :) xx
Michelle
May 8, 2011 at 11:48 pmThis quote makes me wish I hadn’t stopped writing…but I did find another worthwhile creative pursuit and will not give up this time!
Bárbara
May 9, 2011 at 12:19 amThis is amazing and it couldn’t be more right for the Howdy do it column.
Alix H.
May 9, 2011 at 7:57 pmPerfect. So. right. on.
Zukernika
May 13, 2011 at 5:20 pmLoved the post! From Buenos Aires, thanks a lot, Ira!!!
Morghen
May 15, 2011 at 6:16 pmOh my lord I really needed this today :)