Devil in the Details

Creation is a funny thing. It would be so easy if we could just imagine something and it would appear automatically, like the director in the film Fellini’s film “8 1/2”. But guess what? It’s not really that way. Artists and creators have to work through a medium, planning out their work and making sure what they see in their head can exist in the real world. Anything worth doing takes time, after all.

But there-in lies a problem: the details can bog you down. Immensely. You have no idea how many projects I’ve worked on where the smallest of things compltely wrecked the entire process.

But it’s all about balance. The details matter, but we are creatives should never get so bogged down that it derails a project. If you ever feel that way, take a look at that detail and really ask yourself: “is this detail going to matter at the end of the day? Does this add enough value to spend this much time on?”.

I’ve personally started doing that more, and it’s a breath of relief. Projects are getting done a lot quicker, and I can focus on what matters. If you don’t already, try it one of these days! See how it works for you.