About Trying To Be Good

Post 1809:

Have you ever saddled yourself with a project that is too daunting for your skillset? Even if you haven’t, it’s probably not an unfamiliar worry or fear. I think it’s a good thing, born from trying to be good.

There’s a ceiling for everybody when it comes to creating art and literature. Just one of those stubborn facts of life. The great thing is, we never really have to find out how much we can improve, because there’s always tomorrow. Always the hope that more study or more devotion or more obsession will be the thing that advances you to a higher plane of awesome.

So don’t worry about it. The only truly impenetrable barrier is quitting.

Not that getting better is always a great time. Rarely, really. Because adding anything new to your comfortable set of tools will have an upsetting effect. Frustration. Sucking. Bound to happen.

A couple more thoughts on being good. Too many people think they’re good before they are. I think that one is obvious and needs no further expansion. And how bout this—you being good isn’t what’s always good for the person you’re trying to entertain or illuminate. Being impressive might massage your ego, but is it about you?

Depending on who you are and what you want, the answers will vary. I’d like to be a good writer and storyteller, able to use all kinds of techniques and tricks and the whole beautiful English language to get people to turn pages. That’s the point, for me.

You have your own points. And maybe selling a billion copies of something bad is actually good. I’ve stewed on that one before, but it did me no good.

Cheers and see you after.