Make An Ass of Yourself

October 27, 2013 StephenMay

PicassoWhat do great artists do a lot?  Make mistakes.

My god, we are told so often that we need to work harder, study harder, practice more, connect ourselves to industry in a more pragmatic way.  And I’m sure most of theses things are true and useful, but… you hardly ever hear mentors saying, “You know what you really need to do?  You need to screw it up royally.”
But, actually that is maybe what we should aspire to do.  I don’t mean that we deliberately set out to make truly terrible movies or write atrocious scripts, no.  But a courageous, shameless leap into the abyss of original work has got to be the place to start to make the most of what all of us has got.  Hasn’t it?
Since when did an audience thank us for playing it safe?  Nah.  The unusual connection between disparate elements is the hallmark of great work, and you’re not going to get that without a few almighty foul ups.
So really we should embrace making a complete ass of ourselves.  We are very often told that with creative work the first thing that comes into our head is likely to be crap or a cliche.  Why?  It just might be that the first thing that comes into our head is great.  The point is, we shouldn’t censor anything.  Get it out there.  Write it all down.  Draw it down – talk it down – float it in your mind.  You can shape it, edit, change it – later.  First, get that raw weird stuff out there in some form.  And, for christ’s sake, don’t be scared.  Don’t tighten up your throat, sing from your belly.
In the words of a very great writer, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it. Begin it now.” – Goethe.

But Pablo Picasso put it very nicely.  “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
Be a child – make an ass of yourself – and enjoy it!