Bela Lampert

Optioned Screenwriter / Yoga Instructor

You’re Never Done

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You’re Never Done

I think it was John Lasseter from Pixar who said once, “movies are never finished, they’re just released”.

I think there’s a lot of truth in that.

Creative works have a life of their own. We as creators will always find something that can be better, that can be different, that can be changed.

In part that’s because the more we work on it the more ideas we get about what other possibilities we have apart from the choices we already made.

But in part it’s also because we keep developing as writers and creative people.

If we finish a work today and then take a look at it again in maybe two years, our point of view will inevitably be different because of the things that happened in between.

In some way, we  will be a different person in two years so it’s understandable we will find different ways that we could make it better or give it a new perspective.

That’s all well and good and very normal.

But it shouldn’t keep you from finishing your work.

Your work will never be “perfect”, it’s best to come to peace with that.

And that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be.

You work is what you wanted to express during that time that you worked on it with the skill set you have or had.

Finish it, and do the next one.

If you struggle with finishing, set yourself a deadline.

But make it a realistic one.

Set it, make a plan on how to get to it, what steps you need to take and then do them.

Finish on time (or maybe almost on time), then either get the work out there and market yourself or – if you decide that what you created was just an exercise piece – go and start the next one.

If you work on one project for too much time, you won’t be able to see the woods for the trees. You’re lacking distance. 

Also, in my opinion, your learning curve will be far steeper if you let go of that project and start a new one.

Overthinking often shuts down your inspiration as does holding on to things too much.

So, finish it, and then let it go. Work on the next one with a fresh mind and new inspiration.

More on why holding on to your babies too much can make your inspiration suffer:

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