photo credit: ЕленАндреа

In artistic or creative pursuits, how quickly you complete a piece of work has no bearing whatsoever on the result. Indeed, it is the feeling that comes from the work that makes it worthwhile in the first place. This feeling is only compounded when the work is finished and viewable for all to see. Nothing feels better than showing off something that you are really pleased with!

A good foundation is always better than racing through material as fast as you can.

Some of my own musical works I have been working on since 2001. I have shortlisted a handful of the best tracks to go into an album that I plan to finish soon. That is a long time to work on something, but it has never been a waste for me.

Even if nobody else likes it when they listen to it, the sheer amount of time that I have spent on my music means that I can appreciate it to a very high level. In ways, it has become an emotional anchor in my life. The songs that I have tried to force to completion have always ended up sounding lifeless and dull. Over time, I have learned that it is best to sit on a peice of work for a certain time before I make it public, that way I can come back to it with a fresh perspective and make sure that I’m not racing it.

Often I find that when I’m ‘in the zone’ its easy to think that I’ve come up with the worlds best record, only to find that when I come back to it later, it is a total dud!

You can race a piece of work and it will get finished faster, but will it be worthy of your time and appreciation?

What are you racing to complete right now that doesn’t need to be rushed?

How would taking more time and care over it improve its quality?