Brain Crack is Whack!
Well, it's been a while. Given all the time I spend clattering away at TWOP, PrincessMC, and John Shirley's website, it's not like I have a shortage of ideas and things to go on about.
While at Slate.com, I came across an article on Ze Frank, of How to Dance Properly fame. I hopped over to his site and went through the archived episodes of the show and came across this gem, Brain Crack, which perfectly articulated why I dither so damn much.
"...If you don't wanna run out of ideas the best thing to do is not to execute them. You can tell yourself that you don't have the time or resources to do 'em right. Then they stay around in your head like brain crack. No matter how bad things get, at least you have those good ideas that you'll get to later.
Some people get addicted to that brain crack. And the longer they wait, the more they convince themselves of how perfectly that idea should be executed. And they imagine it on a beautiful platter with glitter and rose petals. And everyone's clapping for them. But the, but the, but the, but the bummer is most ideas kinda suck when you do 'em. And no matter how much you plan you still have to do something for the first time. And you're almost guaranteed the first time you do something it'll blow. But somebody who does something bad three times still has three times the experience of that other person who's still dreaming of all the applause. When I get an idea, even a bad one, I try to get it out into the world as fast as possible, 'cause I certainly don't want to be addicted to brain crack.
Eureka! I'm not a procrastinator, I was a brain crackhead all this time!
That, and I have a massive nasal spray habit, but that's for another post...
Which things me to this article in NYT this weekend: For Girls, It’s Be Yourself, and Be Perfect, Too. I've got a little over a decade on these girls, but I get where they are coming from with regards to being sharp, but always looking over your shoulder for the Bright Young Thing who mastered the cello at age three, and is the X-country champ of her state.
By the time I got to college, I was able to forget about my SAT and AP classes and relax (when I wasn't tormenting myself in Architecture school). I only hope these girls can do likewise. Because being that demanding of yourself makes you scared of trying anything new or different, for fear of screwing up your GPA, not getting into the Ivy League, and being a hobo rag-picker.
Fear and perfectionism are the mental version of baking soda and Bolivan Marching Powder that can leave you with a skull full of brain crack.
While at Slate.com, I came across an article on Ze Frank, of How to Dance Properly fame. I hopped over to his site and went through the archived episodes of the show and came across this gem, Brain Crack, which perfectly articulated why I dither so damn much.
"...If you don't wanna run out of ideas the best thing to do is not to execute them. You can tell yourself that you don't have the time or resources to do 'em right. Then they stay around in your head like brain crack. No matter how bad things get, at least you have those good ideas that you'll get to later.
Some people get addicted to that brain crack. And the longer they wait, the more they convince themselves of how perfectly that idea should be executed. And they imagine it on a beautiful platter with glitter and rose petals. And everyone's clapping for them. But the, but the, but the, but the bummer is most ideas kinda suck when you do 'em. And no matter how much you plan you still have to do something for the first time. And you're almost guaranteed the first time you do something it'll blow. But somebody who does something bad three times still has three times the experience of that other person who's still dreaming of all the applause. When I get an idea, even a bad one, I try to get it out into the world as fast as possible, 'cause I certainly don't want to be addicted to brain crack.
Eureka! I'm not a procrastinator, I was a brain crackhead all this time!
That, and I have a massive nasal spray habit, but that's for another post...
Which things me to this article in NYT this weekend: For Girls, It’s Be Yourself, and Be Perfect, Too. I've got a little over a decade on these girls, but I get where they are coming from with regards to being sharp, but always looking over your shoulder for the Bright Young Thing who mastered the cello at age three, and is the X-country champ of her state.
By the time I got to college, I was able to forget about my SAT and AP classes and relax (when I wasn't tormenting myself in Architecture school). I only hope these girls can do likewise. Because being that demanding of yourself makes you scared of trying anything new or different, for fear of screwing up your GPA, not getting into the Ivy League, and being a hobo rag-picker.
Fear and perfectionism are the mental version of baking soda and Bolivan Marching Powder that can leave you with a skull full of brain crack.