On a Substack author’s main publishing page there is a list of their most recent four or five Draft posts with a little arrow beside it. I’m guilty of not looking past that small list: today I clicked on the arrow and saw that I had built up a backlog of thirteen (13) unpublished posts in different states of completion. Some are just ideas and quotes, others almost complete.
As I write this (now fourteenth) Draft I realize that I’m caught between celebrating a whole bunch of content and creativity on my part, and self-flagellation from a failing grade on delivering completed, creative work to the world. Seth Godin - one of my heroes - wrote a book called “The Practice: Shipping Creative Work” that talks about issues like mine. I think it’s time for me to read it.
Our best work happens when we contribute something new, something generous, something that makes an improvement. And making a contribution isn’t possible until we ship the work.
— Seth Godin, https://seths.blog/thepractice/
Leaving something “mostly done” isn’t a new problem for me and at times impacted my career. Part of it is a multipotentialite struggle: having gleaned as much learning as I wanted from the current topic my mind is ready to bounce to the next shiny one. Of course part of it is sheer laziness and disorganization in the face of many other things to get done. But a big part is perfectionism and procrastination masking fear. Fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of not being good enough or being judged, fear of the writing not being worth it.
Like the bear in the picture these things are ever present and always have something to say. Overcoming them - ignoring the bear - takes a little courage, but it also takes a deep connection to the big Why of my creative drive: service to others. Strong99 is about thriving longer in life and as a creative I equate that with getting my work out into the world. I’m learning that “Thriving” and “Creating in service” are the same thing for me.
Do you have unfinished work you are holding back? Why?