Let it go

Don’t hold it back anymore

Do you write? I mean, do you like to write or work with writing, or write as a hobby? Writing writing writing… The reason for me asking it is that if you don’t work with creativity or producing something somehow, maybe this is not the text for you.

I’ve been writing professionally since 2015 when I started studying Advertisement in college. I felt a big evolution both in writing and how I started to see the creative work. I used to be extremely overprotective towards my own words. Let's just say that not anymore.

Working with others

Do you like working in a group or are you better solo?

Even if you work solo, at some point you’re going to have people looking over your work. If you're a writer you're going to face an editor, if you're a musician a producer is helping your whole idea come together.

Do you see it? There's no point in being arrogant to think that you're the only one with good ideas. Let people help.

I'm not saying you should give up on your ideas, I'm just saying that we should all accept advice and think about them. It's not blindly following whatever a third party wants to do with your work.

Take some time, think about it, analyze it. Does it make sense? Then decide between letting or not go. There are times when you feel you're right, then go for it.

Do you know the story of the music producer who refused Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen because the song was too long to be played on the radio? Well, we all know how that turned out.

I'm a genius, why should I change?

There are a few moments when you write something and you think "that's it, I nailed it. There's no need to change anything here". Well, let me tell you something, there's always room for improvement.

Art is never finished, only abandoned. — Leonardo da Vinci

No matter how great you think your text is. Each person reads the world through different lenses. I have a worldview based on my personal experiences, my family background, my culture. There's an infinite number of elements you can put on that.

Here I am, a Brazilian man at the age of 28, writing, and having no idea who is going to read nor having control over how you're getting this message. That's the beauty of art.

Let it go

One one the hardest things in creativity, especially when working with other people is learning to let it go.

Get attached to something you wrote, designed or pitched, may be dangerous. When you do that, your vision is limited. Getting other creative minds to take a look at what you've done can be rich.

People that are not directly involved in what you're creating are a good addition of ideas because they were not part of the conception of the project. They are the perfect critics of what you're trying to deliver.

Of course, you have to examine who you get your opinions from. Some people are all about making diminishing comments regardless of support. The most important thing is to know who you can trust creatively.

Final message

Do you want to know the secret?

I am sorry but I don't know. What I am doing is surrounding myself with people and professionals I admire and trust. I know they only want what's best for me as a writer and as a person. So I take advice from them. Find someone to do the same and I think you'll be alright.

If you want to read some more crazy thoughts that I wrote, you should read this other piece that was published at Illumination.