On a similar note, "your first sketch/idea is never your best" is one of the worst pieces of advice I've ever gotten.
I wasted a lot of time and energy forcing myself past concepts that I felt strongly about because I was made to believe a better one was out there. Often there just wasn't one.
I wasted a lot of time and energy forcing myself past concepts that I felt strongly about because I was made to believe a better one was out there. Often there just wasn't one.
Reposted from
Mary Robinette Kowal
I don't like "Your first draft will be shitty" as advice, because it's a really negative framing.
I prefer, "You have the freedom to be messy creating your first draft."
Anyone crafter knows what their room looks like mid-creation. Writers should be as free to be as exhuberent and messy.
I prefer, "You have the freedom to be messy creating your first draft."
Anyone crafter knows what their room looks like mid-creation. Writers should be as free to be as exhuberent and messy.
Comments
Until you reach a point where you're only allowed to pursue ideas you don't care about, removing all drive to do anything.
Experience and intuition are worth paying attention to, certainly after several years of creating.
It's definitely an intuition thing, sometimes you know you can do better, sometimes you have to leave well enough alone.
Design boss, 9:30am: Brochure for the Smith group. Get me a comp and an alternate, client is here at 11, we have to upload to the print shop at 3pm, so have them both ready to output. GO!!
i thought for the longest time i wasnt doing enough by just going for the first draft, this is so reassuring
If it works, it works. If you WANT to keep exploring, you might discover fun new things. But forced iteration for the sake of iteration can lead to stagnation & burnout.
9/10 my work is from first draft thumbnails
From writing to drawing, cooking, to design. Everything starts from somewhere and its always messy! An Idea is sloppy and we just gotta push it.
I took that as both; "Rough draft is horrible" and "It's an improv version, which means I wing it." I see what works and does't work, then I do the final draft. Completely redo everything from the first, but with what I think is better.
I think no advice is one size fits all
It's my manuscript, I'll write what I like.
Sometimes if it feels like something isn't working, there's value in allowing yourself to throw it out and start over
On the other hand, sometimes the first draft really IS the one that just resonates.
In hindsight, art school really didn't teach me anything useful.
I think you should keep pushing to generate new ideas when you're still in the concept phase of something, cus often you'll find something better through further deliberation, but sometimes you really did strike it right first time.
Sometimes when the muse hits, it hits!
I agree 100%! Usually (not -always-, but usually) my first sketch is THE ONE, and I’m sick and tired of hearing this advice that veers me away from that strong intuition 😤😤😤
Sometimes my first draft isn't my best, but there's been a lot more times when I had a single strong concept and was told to do make more iterations of it, despite liking the first. Felt like faking my work on math problems.
your first idea isn't always your worst, but it's not always your best either. lately im struggling to balance the two ideas 😭
If I’m on a tight deadline and the first take is “good enough,” heck, I’m running with it.
Only change it if it doesn't fulfill the proverbial 'RFP.'
I doubt myself a LOT, so even if I like the idea, I start to second guess myself if I hit a rough patch while creating/working with it.
I have started using "you need something to work with first" instead of "first draft sucks" but...
“Write down your top 10 ideas for the piece…then discard all of this and use #11 as thats the best one.”
You never know where any idea will lead until you follow it.
Random catch-all sentences are far from helpful.
I guess it's just important to know you can ditch something that isn't working out.
I should really take this into account. I have a huge perfectionism problem....
just designs that don't fit to what you're planning to do with it, if the first one works? that's actually great!
so i rather think a better approach for this advice is to prepare you to the idea that not every concept you make will be accepted by the directors
It helped in later assignments but still wasnt the best for me.
"First drafts arent meant to be perfect" might be a better one, for me I think at least 🤔
That being said, if it happens to work out, try it out! See where it goes!
Thank you
I had to redraw an idea 3 times before it worked, best decision ever made.
As it stands, it reinforces aimless "see what sticks" exploration, instead of focused exploration to expand what works.
I’ve just found I start with a messy sketch and keep changing things as I go until it’s right
1 drawing goes through 10 stages of evolution, instead of 10 different sketches
Took me forever to figure that out because professors always emphasized this rule