So this week I posted on Instagram for the first time in a while (come follow me if you like @jacksmindfuzz).
I’ve been procrastinating over what to post on there all year, mainly because I wanted to do it ‘right’.
What’s ‘right’, exactly?
Well… I wasn’t sure.
But I think I’ve finally figured it out; and this entire process has taught me something incredibly important about creativity.
Creativity, and the joy that comes from creativity, suffers greatly when it’s bound by rules and metrics.
I think this is something that’s especially true in the age of social media, where instant feedback (and the need to impress) is at your fingertips.
But thanks to some great minds, I think I’ve found a solution.
Let me tell you about it.
Don’t Become A Slave To The Algorithm
Every platform has its algorithm, and every algorithm has a specific type of content it favours.
On Instagram, like most platforms these days, that’s short-form video (or reels).
If you’ve read any of my articles before, you’ll already know how much I loathe short-form video content.
I hate consuming it because it’s so easy to consume.
And I hate creating it because I don’t want to add to someone else’s doom-scroll.
Somewhere along the way, I started telling myself that creating and posting reels daily was the only way to do Instagram correctly.
And hey, if you want to grow, it probably is.
But creating things specifically for an algorithm that you loathe is a surefire way to fall out of love with creation.
To me, the joy and flow that comes from creating something you truly care about far outweighs the potential joy that comes from growing on a platform where you’re posting things that don’t truly resonate with you.
And it’s taken me a while to understand that.
It seems dumb writing about this when I’m posting to an account of 40 followers, but I think this issue manifests itself in more areas of our lives than we realise.
And if you’re a perfectionist, I think this is especially true.
There is never a perfect time to start something, and you will never create or do something perfectly.
In life, and in creation, the guidelines that exist are just that, guidelines.
Guidelines for things that have been created and lives that have been lived before you.
To create something great, and truly personal, these guidelines have to be ignored.
And that’s something the world’s greatest minds have all had in common.
Putting The Audience Last
So what’s changed my thinking?
Well, funnily enough, an Instagram reel (does that make this entire article invalid??)
It was an interview with Rick Rubin (author of The Creative Act, among many other things), and he said some things that got me thinking.
“It turns out when you make something truly for yourself, you’re doing the best thing you possibly can for the audience. The audience comes last. I’m not making it for them, I’m making it for me.”
Rick Rubin
Rubin used an example of how modern movies these days aren’t as good, because they’re usually being made by people who are just trying to make something that the audience will like.
“That’s not how art works. It’s not art, it’s a commerce.”
I think this distinction between art and commerce is so important, and defining that for myself has helped immensely.
My post on Instagram was not something that will be favoured by the algorithm.
It took me a couple hours to create, but I enjoyed every last second of it.
I made something that I loved, presenting my photography in a way that I think is cool.
That’s what creation is all about.
It made me happy, and I‘d argue that happiness is a slightly more important metric to chase than whatever the hell Instagram may offer you.
Learning To Love The Imperfect
This has all coincided with a time in my life where I’ve started to fall in love with art.
More specifically, imperfect art.
The art of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig (@leunigstudio) and Lewis Rossignol (@lewisrossignol).
Art that is truly personal and unique to its creator.
This type of art is certainly not produced with the audience in mind, but that’s exactly why it’s so popular.
This got me thinking… perhaps perfection is dead?
Is ‘good’ now a bit boring?
Of course there are ways to push the boundaries of how good something can be, and there will always be a place for that, but I feel like we’ve almost seen it all.
I’m never going to be a top 1% writer or photographer (or even 10% for that matter), but I could end up creating things in a way that no one else does.
Maybe true art is capturing a moment in time that can’t be recreated, taking advantage of a passing creative thought that will never come back to you.
And in the early stages of creation, the execution of these passing thoughts may look pretty crappy.
With every video I create, I look back at the previous one thinking god that was a bit shit.
In writing, photography, and certainly videography, I’m nowhere near the level I want to be, or where I think I can get to.
But the only way to get better is by doing, and the only way to receive feedback is by sharing – however embarrassing that is.
Just know that imperfection can lead to incredible things.
It should be celebrated, not feared… especially by its maker.
