Sometimes you have to write to figure it out

Writing is simply the process of presenting an idea in the best way possible.

And so, when you think about the craft of writing, there are two primary ways to get better.

One method is to write something down and edit it until you have a better product than you started.

The other way to consistently put ideas into the world and learn (over time) how to say it differently.

Certainly, you can edit your work. That’s how you communicate concepts in ways that are clear and concise. That’s how you correct for grammar, and that’s how you get to good enough.

But the only way to get better, in the sense that you’re saying something in a way that is more clear or concise or resonant than you would have 5 weeks ago, is to write something and click publish. To put it out there. To let it sit in your consciousness and marinate. And to think, long and hard, about how you would say it better.

Thus, the only way to have better ideas to have lots of bad ideas. To figure it out by writing, by creating and by sharing.

Not by knowing with complete certainty what to say and how to say it best. Or spending more than an appropriate amount of time editing. Or waiting—stalling—until it’s perfect.

No. The best strategy for the artist seeking to level up is to consistently and generously share their work.

Because your best work is always a work in progress.