Whenever I’m face-to-face with something fantastic (whether that be a wonderfully-produced novel or magazine, website or product), I find that a certain part of me gets a bit anxious. I’m aware that the book/site/thing before me is better than anything I could have produced myself. As a creative type, I’m liable to get a bit jealous.
Over time, though, I’ve learned to see things differently. It’s the gap between my work and the fantastic work I see that excites me. That gap means there’s a wealth of knowledge and experience out there, lying in wait. That gap means I’m never bored.
Curiously, as I get better at what I do, I don’t find that gap narrowing. Instead, the more I learn, the more I recognise there is to learn.
There’s nothing wrong with feeling proud of your work, but if you believe your work is perfect, I pity you. It means you’ve lost the ability to recognise the existence of the treasury of understanding that sits just outside your grasp.
Stay hungry, stay foolish… and keep grasping.