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Coping with incompleteness

Coping with incompleteness

We live in a world that demands completions, efficiency and quick results. In the creative industries, these concepts are somewhat indeterminate: what exactly does ‘efficient’ mean in this context, and what is ‘complete’? In creative processes, downtime is sometimes very important. Results are not necessarily immediately apparent, and sometimes a project will take a seemingly long time to complete no matter how efficient you are. There are no shortcuts to the finish line.

You may struggle with a feeling of incompleteness on a daily basis, but you should always remind yourself that this is all part of creative work. Incompleteness can sometimes seem intolerable, but it may make it a bit easier if you realise that it is the rule rather than the exception in creative work.

Besides, being incomplete means being alive. Can you become any better if you are ‘complete’?