When I find myself being hyper self-critical about any work I've created, I go back to that Ira Glass quote. I also think it kind of ties into one type of perfectionism. I think when people talk about perfectionism, they're usually referring to the kind of person who stays up until 4 a.m. making ~one more change~ to whatever it is they're working on. But I think there's another type of perfectionism that sometimes gets overlooked. One thing I've struggled with, particularly in regards to creating things, is just starting at all. The all-consuming fear not just that your work won't be perfect, but that it CAN'T be perfect, can sometimes halt people in their tracks. In those instances, I go back to good ol' Ira and remember that art cannot be art without imperfections.
I have so many voice recordings of me humming tunes or improvising song lyrics and I have just started actually working them out on instruments. It's almost a feeling of shame when you show someone something because 'how dare you think this is any good or you are any good at this' but that's all internal and I am working on it. :)
Kat Eliza Z Me too! I am in high school and started taking a guitar class as one of my electives this year. I am not super great yet , and sometimes I have trouble accepting the fact that there is a learning curve. I don't generally have enough fear of performing to discourage me enough to not preform. (A skill that took much practice.) But these mini tunes and half-songs I don't like sharing as much. Sorry for the long winded and slightly confusing response. It is late where I live, and I just turned In my last English assignment of the year so I am kinda in that mode.
In terms of letting go of your 'baby', it reminds me of Barthes', "The Death of the Author" where it discusses how the author must be completely separate from his/her work and how no one will ever TRULY know the author's interpretation. Readers will then create their own assumptions and their own interpretations, all the more prompting the absence of the author.
Ahh, this is exactly what I've been discussing with my friends lately. And what I go through almost every time I share something I've made whether it is a song cover or a silly little doodle. I've come to realize that although it doesn't necessarily get easier, creating and sharing empowers me to create and share even more. Thank you, Tessa, for your thoughts and eloquence.
Loving the new background, Tessa! I've been trying to summon up the courage to edit a few of my short stories so that I can submit them, and I am feeling the cringe and wondering how I could ever measure up to my literary heroes. Good to know that it's because I have good taste :)
There are no overnight successes. you know, they are called classics, not "This-was-famous-in-1800s" The only reason they last forever, is because they did :)
If an old lady can add a couple of cents for you: First (and most important), don't try to be like your literary heroes, just try to be the best YOU that you can be, that is enough. It is always enough. You will get hate, but you will get a lot of love too. And Love still trumps hate. Ignore the haters and just do you, no one could do it better!
I came back to catch up on this channel after a year or so away from TH-cam at large, and it reminded me how much I love this community. Identity in art is so scary, and it's something I'm struggling with right now, and have been struggling with through my transition. Thank you for discussing this. It hit home.
Yay~ More Tessa! Was excited to have so many people during P4A discovering "Wow! Who is she and why didn't I already know about her?" and this can only add to that. Just--if you DON'T already know her music, start scouring all the places because she's amazing. The world needs more meekakitty.
I keep trying to record original music for the first time, and I always immediately stop because as soon as something doesn't sound like I want it to, I lose all hope of the final product being worth the work. So thank you Tessa, I really needed this. New music coming soon :)
I got your signed EP on a whim during p4a. I had heard of meekakitty back in the day but only started watching regularly since seeing you on dodie's channel recently and honestly the more I listen to your music the happier I am that I got this perk!
OK now that I've actually watched the video. I've never heard of anything so accurate. For close to a decade I have been creating things, and holding them close to my heart. Stories, a novel, an entire huge plan for a media project, photography. But I never put it out because it's mine, and I won't be mean to it or about it. I also think that an artist is always going to be more critical of their work than 90% of people becauses you know thew work inside and out, the finite details of what could and shouldn't have been. But anyways this video has inspired me to actually prepare to release something so if you'll excuse me I'm off to get a microphone from amazon. See you soon.
I'm an artist, like pen and paper kind of artist. And a couple of semesters ago at college I had a professor tell me "You know, you don't have to like everything you make" and that statement changed everything for me. I want to point out that craft is still really important, like the quality of the piece is crucial. But the less I cared about what I was making the more I end up liking the piece, and the more successful it was. So everyone who makes things, you don't have to like everything you create! You are valid even if all the things you make are not 100% successful. The important thing is that you learned something and that you don't stop making things!
There is love in letting go and in creating. I am reminded of that Zen Pencils graphic of that John's quote where the kid making a plane for the one he loves, yet still enjoying it when she doesn't want it. Effort to the gift itself and creating value. Seth Godin says, "We get to the work we seek by passing through imperfection." Spot on with fear of inadequacy and rejection. Sharing is scary.
One of the things that I've struggled with is that I always say "I'm not really an artist blah blah blah." NO! THIS, this struggle, with imperfection, with my soul, with the materials at my fingertips - THIS makes me an artist.
We can definitely relate to that fear of inadequacy. We had a lot of fear when starting The Road to Nerdfighteria, but the warm reception from Nerdfighters helps keep us going. Congrats on your new EP! We love your music and your involvement in Nerdfighteria. Would you consider submitting your Nerdfighter story to our project? :)
I was thinking about this the other day and here's the truth. I don't really remember. 90% sure it was the Deathly Hallows video but don't really have a timeline story I could tell about it?
This video was so relatable to me right now. I've spent the past month stressing over a short film I had to write and create for my videography class. The majority of that stress came from the fact that I knew I'd have to show it to the rest of my class. Having just my teacher watch it is one thing. But to have an entire group of people who know exactly the process it took to make the film made me have anxiety attacks (appropriately so because the film was about anxiety). Up until literally hours before I turned the film in I was in the mindset Tessa described as "I made this and I want to like it, but I don't." It wasn't until I made those last few edits that I could say I was actually satisfied. Being an actor, musician, and videomaker, this vlog spoke so many truths to me.
Yep that's exactly my struggle right now; fearing inadequacy and rejection is holding me back from creating really good music. I've been able to breach this fear many times though, and in those few moments, or sometimes hours, it feels like I have this power within me - an instinct that only comes out to play when my fear gets pushed out of the limelight.
I feel the same way about my own artwork. When I look back on something old that I love, it makes me sad because I begin to doubt if I could ever do it again.
100% the reason I never think my writing is ready to show people, even though I've been writing stories since I was six and I have a degree in creative writing. I still can't show people my work. This is encouraging! Thanks, Tessa!
I'd forgotten about Tessa. I unsubscribed from a lot of people a couple years back because I was able to watch all the videos in my subscription box and it was making me anxious. But I've missed Tessa'a videos. Nice to hear from her again. And of course, a lovely video with a nice message for creative-types and everyone, really.
Oh my goodness! I used to watch Tessa way back when in the olden days of TH-cam. So happy to see she is still on the site. I have to subscribe to her again (no idea why I unsubscribed in the first place, she's awesome)!
Thank you for the video Tessa. I'll be sure to check out your work. I've worked on loads of long-term projects and I can totally relate to what you're saying. The day of, people ask if I'm happy to show it off. And I am. But it's also a bit more...relief than joy I'd say.
I work as a therapist and I believe Ira Glass's quote can apply to other professions, such as my own, that might not be seen as creative. You may take on a position with a gut level understanding (taste) of what doing it well looks like, but that doesn't mean you are automatically going to be able to accomplish that on day one. Long story short- be kind to your professional and personal selves :)
As an artist in many aspects who is very much a beginner in a lot of those aspects, this is something I relate to so strongly it honestly hurts. I don't think I'll ever get over this sort of lingering fear about my art. I doubt I'll ever stop wondering, "is this good enough? Will people even like it?". I don't think that's just something you get over I think it's something you just get more comfortable in and get more used to. Usually that voice in my head can be very overwhelming because sometimes I catch myself believing that my art isn't good enough, which leads to me beating myself up about it not being "good enough". However all my life when I've been feeling overwhelmed like that, I just turned to my art even more and just expressed that doubt even more and I guarantee it helps a lot. I don't know, I guess the point of this ramble is just to let all you creative folk out there know that when you feel this overwhelming anxiety about your art not being good enough, don't let that stop you. Instead, use it as fuel to drive you to work harder and express yourself more freely and personally in your art.
i just put out a video (not on youtube) and i thought it was good until i put it out and not as many people enjoyed it. this really helped me with understanding that and gave me some confidence. thank you!!!
I'm always trying to find that balance of creating videos for myself and for memory's sake vs creating something that I think my audience wants to see. My wife always has to remind me that people like authenticity, so just keep creating the things that make you happy, and that's all that matters. -Brian
Thank you for sharing this, Tessa. As a fellow creator who is very much at the start of the creation process frequently, it's always good to hear I'm not the only one.
The taste part is so spot on. The first story I ever wrote I now look back on as an okay story with crap writing. And maybe I might have felt that way back when putting it out too but it was overcome by the encouragement I kept getting from another writer whose stuff inspired me to write in the first place and with whom I'm now close friends. So keep putting your stuff out there artists. You'll get a record of your development through the years and maybe you'll see rising viewcounts or someone posting an engouraging comment. Right now I'm kind of down about seeing my viewcount on my recent stuff being noticeably lower than the viewcount in my first ever story because I keep thinking "this is so much better how did that crap get more clicks" and part of it may be the title. But I think in the further chapters it's that the story was interesting enough for people to read the next part, and the next, and the next. And if that crap was good enough, then this stuff I'm working on now, despite having less views, should be even more captivating because my writing has gotten better. And knowing how far I've come in these three years keeps me writing because if I keep writing, I'll develop further. And that applies to any skill, any art form. Keep doing it, not for an audience, but for yourself. And someday there will be some audience of people who take a look and go "oh what's this? Is there more?"
Oh wow, I subscribed/unsubscribed to meekakitty years and years ago (as far as I remember I unsubscribed in the period where her vlogs started to be mostly about touring with some band), so it's crazy seeing her pop back into my feed after all this time. You sure have changed, Tessa! It might be time to dive back through the videos. Good topic, good thoughts, and unreal colours for a vlog.
This is very motivating. Like, I live everyday thinking about ideas of a song or a drawing, but when I do try to actually create it, it doesn't come out as well as I'd hoped, and so I rarely do create ANYTHING anymore. The head is a beautiful place, but I guess it's not worth living it all in your head and not trying to make those ideas real.
ahhhhhh I feel this so much. I always feel so vulnerable when I'm sharing my poetry/fiction with my workshop class or friends. it's like I'm putting my entire self out there on the line.
I love this! There are so many things I've been wanting to create but have been too afraid to actually do it. Thanks for putting my feelings into words and inspiring me to go for it anyway!
I can certainly relate. I've been writing poetry for a greater part of my life, in a single notebook. Flipping through the pages, I've seen myself grow. Yet, I feel like a beginner. My style morphs everytime I write, it's a new beginning all over. And this is, for a lack of a better word, bad. I have a really great idea in my mind, along with a really piercing stanza but when I actually pen it down, it's a pitiable piece. Hardly have been when I looked at one and gazed in awe. But a lot have I flipped again and found that those were actually pretty good. And to extend your analogy of giving birth, Babies are blood covered lumps of flesh, but when you look back, they were the cutest things ever.
Instantly loved the way you wear your vulnerability like a wedding dress. I'm gonna watch your channel now too. I needed to hear this having just put my identity into a creative project that went live last weekend.
I needed to hear this right now. Creating is HARD! People WILL criticize your work, which will make you feel HORRIBLE for DAYS. But you need to carry on and keep practicing and learning and growing, because that is the only way you'll be successful.
I find your perspective on your art fasciniating, in the idea that you feel that becomes something different when it is free to the public, and that it is no longer 'yours'. I'll spare you my aesthetic philosophy diatribe, and just say that I think your art has intrinsic value all itself, regardless of public opinion, and it will always be yours; haters and fans alike be damned.
I watched Tessa through high school (8+ years ago) then stopped when music started to be her main thing (no hate, just wasn't my bag). Every once in a while she'll pop up somewhere and it's like that really old friend you barely recognize.
As a writer, I feel this so much, especially what you were saying that in your head, it's perfect, but then it gets mangled as it goes through the process of "Ok now how do I actually put this into intelligible words that don't slow down the story that I'm trying to tell?". Going back through that process to try to comb things out so that you do have that story can be quite painful, as you sometimes have to cut out things that you really liked, but that didn't serve the story. And then releasing it to the world... That's a whole other anxiety and fear of whether others love your story as much as you do, whether the imagery in your mind was conveyed effectively onto the page, whether the characters come off as being as compelling and deep as they are to you. Creating stuff, man. It hard. (By the way, your eyes are gorgeous!)
Thank you Tessa. I seriously needed this right now. I have been writing my entire life, and right now I am applying to grad schools for Creative Writing Programs. To get into a well-funded program (all I can afford) the process is so competitive. I'm trying to come up with my best work but I'm plagued with so much insecurity. I'm also totally in this alone. I'm a first-generation college student and no one in my family has pursued graduate school before. So I have no idea if what I'm doing is any good. I know I have the potential to be a good writer, I know I've created things in the past that has been received well, but I'm so scared of failure. :(
That's so hard! I'm sure the pressure of "make sure this is a good one" isn't helping you either. All you can do is the best you can do with the tools you have. That's amazing you're the first one to pursue graduate school! There's an amazing talk by Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) called The Elusive Creative Genius. It may be helpful to you! (basically the gist is, take the identity out of your art).
this video (and quote) came at such a perfect time for me. I am trying (once again) to create after stopping after i graduated bc i didn't feel my work was good enough. thank you.
I was two or three minutes into the video when I liked it, and suddenly noticed that this wasn't on Tessa's channel! Surprise! :D I just thought she was being funny when she started the video by greeting Hank and John. Great video, Tessa! And thanks for getting so many great paternity-leave-guests, John and Hank!
You should read Marcel Duchamps essay "Creative Act" it's all about the art coefficient between the artist concept and the way how the audience interprets the creation
This was exactly what I needed to hear. Ive been itching to create for years now but have always been afraid of that gap. Hopefully using these words I'll be able to push through it.
I have this problem with my writing. I just never think my descriptions of things and feelings are good enough, even when I like the story I'm telling. The only writing I've really really liked that I've done has been screenplays, which don't include as many descriptions as fiction novel writing. Anyway, good to see you, Tessa! This was a wonderful video.
"This fear of inadequacy and rejection is why some people don't create at all" WUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHH
doddleoddle dodie!!!!! you're adorable!!!!! I love you!!!!!! you wonderful kind amazing human being!!!!!!
SAMEEEEEE
me me me me me
doddleoddle dodieeeeeee my dear. I FREAKING LOVE your vevo channel
u like it
Hank has transformed into a beautiful woman.
hahaha
Dalton Fitzgerald He was a beautiful man first. Now he's a beautiful woman.
Did you just assume her gender?
Huge Disappoint I think you just did
Huge Disappoint please don't
Vlogbrother, I just want to thank you for introducing me to so many great channels!
Wait, I thought this was Tessa's channel until the address to John at the end. I wasn't paying attention to the intro.
I came here to make this same comment. I just assumed this was today's Vlogmas :p
HANK, YOU'VE CHANGED..again
sigh
how is he getting all this money for amount of cosmetic surgery required?!
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Hank, John, I've really appreciated the calibre of videos that the guest artists you've brought in have made. Insightful and lovely. Thank you!
When I find myself being hyper self-critical about any work I've created, I go back to that Ira Glass quote. I also think it kind of ties into one type of perfectionism. I think when people talk about perfectionism, they're usually referring to the kind of person who stays up until 4 a.m. making ~one more change~ to whatever it is they're working on. But I think there's another type of perfectionism that sometimes gets overlooked. One thing I've struggled with, particularly in regards to creating things, is just starting at all. The all-consuming fear not just that your work won't be perfect, but that it CAN'T be perfect, can sometimes halt people in their tracks. In those instances, I go back to good ol' Ira and remember that art cannot be art without imperfections.
yes this is so good
YAASS!
A: I feel you and B: Where do I find the Ira Glass wisdom you speak of?
This sounds so much like my experience as a PhD student. While not artistic necessarily, creating anything is scary.
watched Tessa many years ago, really liked her old vlogs :D
Sexy scientist
yeah, it really sucks :/
You should watch her new ones, they are just as good :D
"When you go through the pain of creating something, you have to look in the face of your inadequacy." this is so true!
As a writer, I really needed to hear this.
I have so many voice recordings of me humming tunes or improvising song lyrics and I have just started actually working them out on instruments. It's almost a feeling of shame when you show someone something because 'how dare you think this is any good or you are any good at this' but that's all internal and I am working on it. :)
yes yes yes
Kat Eliza Z Me too! I am in high school and started taking a guitar class as one of my electives this year. I am not super great yet , and sometimes I have trouble accepting the fact that there is a learning curve. I don't generally have enough fear of performing to discourage me enough to not preform. (A skill that took much practice.) But these mini tunes and half-songs I don't like sharing as much.
Sorry for the long winded and slightly confusing response. It is late where I live, and I just turned In my last English assignment of the year so I am kinda in that mode.
In terms of letting go of your 'baby', it reminds me of Barthes', "The Death of the Author" where it discusses how the author must be completely separate from his/her work and how no one will ever TRULY know the author's interpretation. Readers will then create their own assumptions and their own interpretations, all the more prompting the absence of the author.
Wow, last time i saw meekakitty was in 2009. Time flies...
she is soo pretty and seems like a lovely person! .. love that you chose her to fill in and i got to know her / found her chanel :) cheers guys
This was a super solid guest video. I absolutely loved it!
Ahh, this is exactly what I've been discussing with my friends lately. And what I go through almost every time I share something I've made whether it is a song cover or a silly little doodle. I've come to realize that although it doesn't necessarily get easier, creating and sharing empowers me to create and share even more. Thank you, Tessa, for your thoughts and eloquence.
Loving the new background, Tessa! I've been trying to summon up the courage to edit a few of my short stories so that I can submit them, and I am feeling the cringe and wondering how I could ever measure up to my literary heroes. Good to know that it's because I have good taste :)
There are no overnight successes.
you know, they are called classics, not "This-was-famous-in-1800s"
The only reason they last forever, is because they did :)
If an old lady can add a couple of cents for you: First (and most important), don't try to be like your literary heroes, just try to be the best YOU that you can be, that is enough. It is always enough. You will get hate, but you will get a lot of love too. And Love still trumps hate. Ignore the haters and just do you, no one could do it better!
I came back to catch up on this channel after a year or so away from TH-cam at large, and it reminded me how much I love this community. Identity in art is so scary, and it's something I'm struggling with right now, and have been struggling with through my transition. Thank you for discussing this. It hit home.
I'm not even notification squad - just addicted to TH-cam...
XD
Gir2007 - Addicted to youtube?
I still remember, first time I ever saw or heard of Tessa was the "SAIL AWOLNATION" video 5 years ago. ^_^
I haven't seen her since Breaking NYC, however many years ago that was. Wow.
Her hair is sooo lovely!!! The colour pink suits Tessa so well
Everyone is their own worst critic and when people like what you make its a definite pat on the back
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Late squad, where you at?
Harshit Sharma Yo.
not here until tomorrow.
i will write this comment next year
Ayyyy
Ay
Yay~ More Tessa! Was excited to have so many people during P4A discovering "Wow! Who is she and why didn't I already know about her?" and this can only add to that. Just--if you DON'T already know her music, start scouring all the places because she's amazing. The world needs more meekakitty.
Note to whomever is monitoring this video on vlogbrothers end: the end screen videos need to start and end a few seconds sooner
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THE GAP BY IRA GLASS IS SO GOOD OMFG I'M SO GLAD YOU QUOTED IT
I keep trying to record original music for the first time, and I always immediately stop because as soon as something doesn't sound like I want it to, I lose all hope of the final product being worth the work. So thank you Tessa, I really needed this. New music coming soon :)
I got your signed EP on a whim during p4a. I had heard of meekakitty back in the day but only started watching regularly since seeing you on dodie's channel recently and honestly the more I listen to your music the happier I am that I got this perk!
OK now that I've actually watched the video. I've never heard of anything so accurate. For close to a decade I have been creating things, and holding them close to my heart. Stories, a novel, an entire huge plan for a media project, photography. But I never put it out because it's mine, and I won't be mean to it or about it. I also think that an artist is always going to be more critical of their work than 90% of people becauses you know thew work inside and out, the finite details of what could and shouldn't have been.
But anyways this video has inspired me to actually prepare to release something so if you'll excuse me I'm off to get a microphone from amazon. See you soon.
Proud of you!
I'm an artist, like pen and paper kind of artist. And a couple of semesters ago at college I had a professor tell me "You know, you don't have to like everything you make" and that statement changed everything for me. I want to point out that craft is still really important, like the quality of the piece is crucial. But the less I cared about what I was making the more I end up liking the piece, and the more successful it was.
So everyone who makes things, you don't have to like everything you create! You are valid even if all the things you make are not 100% successful. The important thing is that you learned something and that you don't stop making things!
great vid, love all the high quality content from other youtubers on vlogbrothers! (although we miss you hank)
There is love in letting go and in creating. I am reminded of that Zen Pencils graphic of that John's quote where the kid making a plane for the one he loves, yet still enjoying it when she doesn't want it. Effort to the gift itself and creating value. Seth Godin says, "We get to the work we seek by passing through imperfection." Spot on with fear of inadequacy and rejection. Sharing is scary.
Thanks for the video, Tessa! Nice to see you on vlogbrothers. :)
just from the title I like the idea of emotions that we don't normally associate with art. made me think of how when things look dark, art stands up.
or how fear can be made to drive art
I was actually thinking about this yesterday haha
One of the things that I've struggled with is that I always say "I'm not really an artist blah blah blah." NO! THIS, this struggle, with imperfection, with my soul, with the materials at my fingertips - THIS makes me an artist.
We can definitely relate to that fear of inadequacy. We had a lot of fear when starting The Road to Nerdfighteria, but the warm reception from Nerdfighters helps keep us going.
Congrats on your new EP! We love your music and your involvement in Nerdfighteria. Would you consider submitting your Nerdfighter story to our project? :)
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i see you, MATT.
I was thinking about this the other day and here's the truth. I don't really remember. 90% sure it was the Deathly Hallows video but don't really have a timeline story I could tell about it?
This video was so relatable to me right now. I've spent the past month stressing over a short film I had to write and create for my videography class. The majority of that stress came from the fact that I knew I'd have to show it to the rest of my class. Having just my teacher watch it is one thing. But to have an entire group of people who know exactly the process it took to make the film made me have anxiety attacks (appropriately so because the film was about anxiety). Up until literally hours before I turned the film in I was in the mindset Tessa described as "I made this and I want to like it, but I don't." It wasn't until I made those last few edits that I could say I was actually satisfied. Being an actor, musician, and videomaker, this vlog spoke so many truths to me.
Yep that's exactly my struggle right now; fearing inadequacy and rejection is holding me back from creating really good music. I've been able to breach this fear many times though, and in those few moments, or sometimes hours, it feels like I have this power within me - an instinct that only comes out to play when my fear gets pushed out of the limelight.
HOLY CARP IT'S MEEKAKITTY! I HAVEN'T SEEN HER SINCE I WATCHED RWJ SO MANY YEARS AGO!
I feel the same way about my own artwork. When I look back on something old that I love, it makes me sad because I begin to doubt if I could ever do it again.
100% the reason I never think my writing is ready to show people, even though I've been writing stories since I was six and I have a degree in creative writing. I still can't show people my work. This is encouraging! Thanks, Tessa!
Oh Man I really thought I was watching Tessa's vlogmas.
Me too.. for a moment here I got confused!
I'd forgotten about Tessa. I unsubscribed from a lot of people a couple years back because I was able to watch all the videos in my subscription box and it was making me anxious. But I've missed Tessa'a videos. Nice to hear from her again.
And of course, a lovely video with a nice message for creative-types and everyone, really.
Oh my goodness! I used to watch Tessa way back when in the olden days of TH-cam. So happy to see she is still on the site. I have to subscribe to her again (no idea why I unsubscribed in the first place, she's awesome)!
Thank you for the video Tessa. I'll be sure to check out your work. I've worked on loads of long-term projects and I can totally relate to what you're saying. The day of, people ask if I'm happy to show it off. And I am. But it's also a bit more...relief than joy I'd say.
haha for me it was a bit more... devastation.
That's pretty relatable too! haha
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I work as a therapist and I believe Ira Glass's quote can apply to other professions, such as my own, that might not be seen as creative. You may take on a position with a gut level understanding (taste) of what doing it well looks like, but that doesn't mean you are automatically going to be able to accomplish that on day one. Long story short- be kind to your professional and personal selves :)
As an artist in many aspects who is very much a beginner in a lot of those aspects, this is something I relate to so strongly it honestly hurts. I don't think I'll ever get over this sort of lingering fear about my art. I doubt I'll ever stop wondering, "is this good enough? Will people even like it?". I don't think that's just something you get over I think it's something you just get more comfortable in and get more used to. Usually that voice in my head can be very overwhelming because sometimes I catch myself believing that my art isn't good enough, which leads to me beating myself up about it not being "good enough". However all my life when I've been feeling overwhelmed like that, I just turned to my art even more and just expressed that doubt even more and I guarantee it helps a lot. I don't know, I guess the point of this ramble is just to let all you creative folk out there know that when you feel this overwhelming anxiety about your art not being good enough, don't let that stop you. Instead, use it as fuel to drive you to work harder and express yourself more freely and personally in your art.
Hey you're from "Beat the Heat" with Rhett and Link!
it me
i just put out a video (not on youtube) and i thought it was good until i put it out and not as many people enjoyed it. this really helped me with understanding that and gave me some confidence. thank you!!!
I'm always trying to find that balance of creating videos for myself and for memory's sake vs creating something that I think my audience wants to see. My wife always has to remind me that people like authenticity, so just keep creating the things that make you happy, and that's all that matters. -Brian
omg tessa it's amazing that you get to talk on this chanel
I KNOW I WAS CAVING UNDER THE PRESSURE OF HOW EXCITED AND NERVOUS I WAS
Tessa Violet omg you reacted, i love your music so much, you have an amazing voice, loved to hear you talk about this
Dang I haven't seen Tessa that much since RWJ was popular & hosted his own show. It's good to see she's still putting out content! 😊
Thank you for sharing this, Tessa. As a fellow creator who is very much at the start of the creation process frequently, it's always good to hear I'm not the only one.
This is gonna be one of my all time fav VlogBrothers vids. Not cause of who is in it but due to the content. Mass feels relations here.
Have you read Art & Fear? It's a really good book that analyzes why we're afraid of creating art (any type of art).
I haven't but it sounds right up my alley!
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yes, I HIGHLY reccomend!
I GOT SO EXCITED WHEN I SAW TESSA IN THE THUMBNAIL MAN
The taste part is so spot on. The first story I ever wrote I now look back on as an okay story with crap writing. And maybe I might have felt that way back when putting it out too but it was overcome by the encouragement I kept getting from another writer whose stuff inspired me to write in the first place and with whom I'm now close friends. So keep putting your stuff out there artists. You'll get a record of your development through the years and maybe you'll see rising viewcounts or someone posting an engouraging comment.
Right now I'm kind of down about seeing my viewcount on my recent stuff being noticeably lower than the viewcount in my first ever story because I keep thinking "this is so much better how did that crap get more clicks" and part of it may be the title. But I think in the further chapters it's that the story was interesting enough for people to read the next part, and the next, and the next. And if that crap was good enough, then this stuff I'm working on now, despite having less views, should be even more captivating because my writing has gotten better. And knowing how far I've come in these three years keeps me writing because if I keep writing, I'll develop further.
And that applies to any skill, any art form. Keep doing it, not for an audience, but for yourself. And someday there will be some audience of people who take a look and go "oh what's this? Is there more?"
Oh wow, I subscribed/unsubscribed to meekakitty years and years ago (as far as I remember I unsubscribed in the period where her vlogs started to be mostly about touring with some band), so it's crazy seeing her pop back into my feed after all this time. You sure have changed, Tessa! It might be time to dive back through the videos. Good topic, good thoughts, and unreal colours for a vlog.
one of the greatest vlogs in a while.... great work...
as somebody who has recently started trying to create this is so helpful good lord
This is very motivating. Like, I live everyday thinking about ideas of a song or a drawing, but when I do try to actually create it, it doesn't come out as well as I'd hoped, and so I rarely do create ANYTHING anymore. The head is a beautiful place, but I guess it's not worth living it all in your head and not trying to make those ideas real.
needed to hear this today lol love you Tessa!
The horrible experience of catching up to your taste then learning why your taste is bad, that's the good one.
Hot damn, her hair is fabulous.
ahhhhhh I feel this so much. I always feel so vulnerable when I'm sharing my poetry/fiction with my workshop class or friends. it's like I'm putting my entire self out there on the line.
Just rolled up haven't watched yet but I have to just say your hair is INCREDIBLE
I love this! There are so many things I've been wanting to create but have been too afraid to actually do it. Thanks for putting my feelings into words and inspiring me to go for it anyway!
I can certainly relate.
I've been writing poetry for a greater part of my life, in a single notebook.
Flipping through the pages, I've seen myself grow.
Yet, I feel like a beginner. My style morphs everytime I write, it's a new beginning all over.
And this is, for a lack of a better word, bad.
I have a really great idea in my mind, along with a really piercing stanza but when I actually pen it down, it's a pitiable piece.
Hardly have been when I looked at one and gazed in awe.
But a lot have I flipped again and found that those were actually pretty good.
And to extend your analogy of giving birth,
Babies are blood covered lumps of flesh, but when you look back, they were the cutest things ever.
Hey guys thanks for being you!! Sending Love from Nepal :D
Instantly loved the way you wear your vulnerability like a wedding dress. I'm gonna watch your channel now too.
I needed to hear this having just put my identity into a creative project that went live last weekend.
I needed to hear this right now. Creating is HARD! People WILL criticize your work, which will make you feel HORRIBLE for DAYS. But you need to carry on and keep practicing and learning and growing, because that is the only way you'll be successful.
If she hadn't started with "Good morning John and Hank..." I wouldn't have realized I was on a vlogbrothers video.
IM SUBSCRIBED TO BOTH OF YOU AND I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE THIS WAS VLOGBROTHERS.
haha
Tessa Violet OMG YOU REPLIED! Sorry, going to turn caps lock off 😍 I love you, thank you for responding!
This is my first introduction to Tessa. I like that music video that was linked on the end card. I'll check her out.
wow! I never thought anybody feels that way let alone make a vlog about it. Thanks for letting me know I am not alone in this :)
I find your perspective on your art fasciniating, in the idea that you feel that becomes something different when it is free to the public, and that it is no longer 'yours'. I'll spare you my aesthetic philosophy diatribe, and just say that I think your art has intrinsic value all itself, regardless of public opinion, and it will always be yours; haters and fans alike be damned.
I really liked the thing about taste, it's a new way of looking at persevering through creating art that I hadn't thought of before.
So nice to see you here, Tessa!
I've only watched a couple of Tessa's videos, mainly Wizard Love. xP She looks so different! (Still beautiful tho)
I watched Tessa through high school (8+ years ago) then stopped when music started to be her main thing (no hate, just wasn't my bag). Every once in a while she'll pop up somewhere and it's like that really old friend you barely recognize.
I was like, "I haven't seen a Vlogbrothers video in a while." , so I checked the channel to see this uploaded 18 seconds ago. :D
ok I lowkey checked out her ep AND I'M OBSESSED OH MY GOD
As a writer, I feel this so much, especially what you were saying that in your head, it's perfect, but then it gets mangled as it goes through the process of "Ok now how do I actually put this into intelligible words that don't slow down the story that I'm trying to tell?". Going back through that process to try to comb things out so that you do have that story can be quite painful, as you sometimes have to cut out things that you really liked, but that didn't serve the story. And then releasing it to the world... That's a whole other anxiety and fear of whether others love your story as much as you do, whether the imagery in your mind was conveyed effectively onto the page, whether the characters come off as being as compelling and deep as they are to you. Creating stuff, man. It hard.
(By the way, your eyes are gorgeous!)
How wild, I literally just found and subscribed to her yesterday.
This is very important. WHATEVER YOU DO JUST KEEP CREATING!!
I totally thought I was on Tessa's channel until the end. SURPRISE!
Thank you Tessa. I seriously needed this right now.
I have been writing my entire life, and right now I am applying to grad schools for Creative Writing Programs. To get into a well-funded program (all I can afford) the process is so competitive. I'm trying to come up with my best work but I'm plagued with so much insecurity. I'm also totally in this alone. I'm a first-generation college student and no one in my family has pursued graduate school before. So I have no idea if what I'm doing is any good. I know I have the potential to be a good writer, I know I've created things in the past that has been received well, but I'm so scared of failure.
:(
That's so hard! I'm sure the pressure of "make sure this is a good one" isn't helping you either. All you can do is the best you can do with the tools you have. That's amazing you're the first one to pursue graduate school! There's an amazing talk by Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) called The Elusive Creative Genius. It may be helpful to you! (basically the gist is, take the identity out of your art).
Thanks Tessa, I'll check that out. I've been watching since VlogVetica, by the way. You're such a gift to the internet.
this video (and quote) came at such a perfect time for me. I am trying (once again) to create after stopping after i graduated bc i didn't feel my work was good enough. thank you.
literally obsessed with her hairomg😍
I was two or three minutes into the video when I liked it, and suddenly noticed that this wasn't on Tessa's channel! Surprise! :D I just thought she was being funny when she started the video by greeting Hank and John.
Great video, Tessa! And thanks for getting so many great paternity-leave-guests, John and Hank!
You should read Marcel Duchamps essay "Creative Act" it's all about the art coefficient between the artist concept and the way how the audience interprets the creation
One of my favorite quotes from my brother:
"Being bad at something is the first step to being kinda good at something."
Wow - I remember her learning how to drive with RWJ. I think? And winning some kind of contest on TH-cam? Awesome to see her still around.
This was exactly what I needed to hear. Ive been itching to create for years now but have always been afraid of that gap. Hopefully using these words I'll be able to push through it.
Wow...just, wow...going through this now getting ready to release some recordings. Well said.
This is such a good way to describe the feeling I am never really able to properly describe. Thank you for putting it into words :)
I read a book about this very subject once called Art and Fear. I will retrieve the subtitle and author shortly and put it here-->
I JUMPED WHEN YOU JUMPED AT THE END JEEZ LOUISE THAT WAS SCARY
I have this problem with my writing. I just never think my descriptions of things and feelings are good enough, even when I like the story I'm telling. The only writing I've really really liked that I've done has been screenplays, which don't include as many descriptions as fiction novel writing.
Anyway, good to see you, Tessa! This was a wonderful video.
I love tessa with all my heart