Why you shouldn’t make your work ‘impressive’
The downside of people pleasing in creativity
Today, many creatives fall under the bad spell of grandiosity.
Grandiosity is about focusing on the praise, attention, glamour, and all the good things that come after a masterpiece has been completed. This article is inspired by a section of the book Mastery by Robert Greene titled ‘Common Emotional Pitfalls of Mastery’.
Think about the last major project you started. Did you frequently think of how amazing it would feel when you complete it? Maybe it’s a task your boss asked you to start, and you are already romanticizing the output. Maybe even thinking about the amazing compliments you would get when it’s done.
Avoiding the pitfall of grandiosity means not allowing the praise that you crave (from the public) to alter or shape your work. Don’t write a story because of how many people you think will line up at your book signing. Write it because you want that story to be told a certain way, because of the meaning you want it to have to readers.
Whether they like the story or not shouldn’t concern you.
I suffered from the mindset of grandiosity growing up. I saw successful business owners, writers, actors, sportsmen and all telling their story of persevering through adversity. Instead of understanding their process, I was more interested in the end goal — the success. The admiration. I didn’t care about the process. I just knew I wanted a story that is admirable.
But to create any masterpiece or achieve true success, what must inspire you is the work itself.
And as Robert Greene rightly said, public attention is a nuisance and a distraction.
Think of the last time you sought an external opinion a your project you were working on. Maybe your colleague thought differently about your problem-solving approach. Or your boss was not convinced about something and told you to change it.
Maybe you wanted to start a business, but your family thought it would never take off. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you don’t have to tweak your masterpiece to suit what others want. You draw the line and decide what works.
As a takeaway, acknowledge the importance of solitude when working. I’m not talking about busy work here. I’m talking about a major project, product, skill, business, or creation of yours that is meant to create value and solve problems. Ask for opinions sparingly, and ditch anything that doesn’t flow with the intention of your work.
The satisfaction you get from creating what you want will always trump external validation. Always.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
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