The Best, Most Frustrating Quote About Creativity: Choosing Enjoyment Over Pleasure

The Best, Most Frustrating Quote About Creativity: Choosing Enjoyment Over Pleasure

Creativity is a journey that many of us embark on because we have good taste. We strive to create work that matches our impeccable standards, but we often find ourselves disappointed with the results. This gap between our taste and our actual output can be discouraging, leading many to quit before they truly reach their potential.

Ira Glass, the creator and host of This American Life, beautifully captures this struggle in his quote: "For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be. It has potential. But your taste -- your taste is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you." It's a sentiment that resonates with anyone who has ever pursued a creative endeavor.

Glass goes on to explain that most people who have achieved success in their creative work have gone through this phase of disappointment. They've pushed through the initial struggle and continued to create despite the gap between their taste and their abilities. The key, he says, is to do a lot of work and put yourself on a deadline. By consistently creating and finishing projects, you can close that gap and eventually produce work that matches your ambitions.

But creativity is not just about practice and repetition. It's about enjoyment. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist known for his work on flow, argues that enjoyment is something we create through our own effort. It's a conscious choice to engage in a task and savor the experience, leading to feelings of joy and accomplishment.

Choosing enjoyment over pleasure is what separates us from our animal instincts. Pleasure is fleeting and addictive, while enjoyment is a deliberate and fulfilling experience. Pleasure happens to us, while enjoyment is something we actively cultivate.

In our modern society, there are many distractions and pressures that can hinder our ability to truly enjoy life. The constant need to present ourselves positively on social media can take away from the genuine experience of a moment. Research has shown that those who shared their photos online enjoyed the experience less than those who kept the photos for their own memories. The pressure to portray happiness can dampen our true enjoyment of life.

Efficiency is another enemy of enjoyment. The mindset that every moment must be productive and not "wasted" can prevent us from truly savoring the simple pleasures of life. Those who view activities like hanging out with friends as wasteful enjoy them less than those who see them as valuable and enjoyable experiences. The ability to embrace leisure and unproductive time is essential for true enjoyment.

Josef Pieper, a 20th-century German philosopher, beautifully captures the essence of enjoyment when he writes, "Leisure is only possible when a man is at one with himself." Enjoyment is not just about feeling good in the moment; it's about creating a life that aligns with our true desires and values. It's a declaration of independence from our base impulses and a rejection of joyless drudgery.

So, how can we bridge the gap between our taste and our abilities in creativity while choosing enjoyment over pleasure? Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Embrace the process: Understand that creativity is a journey, and the early stages may not live up to your expectations. Embrace the imperfections and view them as stepping stones to improvement.

2. Practice regularly: Set yourself deadlines and commit to finishing one project every week, or whatever timeframe works for you. The more you create, the closer you will get to closing the gap between your taste and your abilities.

3. Prioritize enjoyment: Make a conscious effort to choose enjoyment over pleasure. Disconnect from the pressures of social media and embrace unproductive time with friends and activities that bring you genuine joy. Remember that the purpose of creativity is not just to be creative but to create something meaningful.

In conclusion, the journey of creativity can be frustrating, but it is also incredibly rewarding. By understanding that the gap between our taste and our abilities is normal and embracing the process, we can close that gap and create work that truly reflects our ambitions. Choosing enjoyment over pleasure is essential for a fulfilling and meaningful creative life. So, don't wait. Just make the thing, make it better, and make what matters.