Is there such a thing as objective perfection? What is perfect to me could be deeply flawed to you. It’s not a simple thing to put yourself out there as an artist. But what I’ve decided is that you have to be OK with good enough. Is it good enough to share with people without being embarrassed? Or is the need to share this piece of your soul so strong that you’re willing to risk the discomfort of other people’s judgment or indifference? Is it good enough?
Then there is the business end of art. If you want other people to see it, and hopefully get pleasure or whatever your aim is from it, they need to know it exists. That means soliciting reviews, marketing, advertising, and the other myriad ways we sell our work. I hate this part. I am not comfortable asking people to do things for me. I do not think my novel is a GREAT work of art that will change the world or is important in the grand scheme. Asking for reviews or for people to purchase my work is far more difficult than putting my writing out there. It invites disdain, disinterest, and ridicule. Asking people to say nice things is risky. What if they feel pressured? What if they say things they don’t really mean because they want to protect your feelings? It’s freaking uncomfortable.
That said, From Away is a work of love. It brought me joy to create, and I hope it brings others a bit of entertainment and a momentary escape from reality. I recently reread my book. I cringe at every error I find. Unfortunately, far more slipped through the final proofreading than I’d realized. There are awkward sentences and scenes that need trimming. But you know what? It is good enough.
I self-published because I didn’t want to wait for the approval of the gatekeepers of the publishing world. I didn’t have the time or the energy to deal with worrying about someone else’s approval of something as personal as art. It may have been vanity or ego, but there was a driving urge to get this done. I’ve been writing since I was a little kid, scribbling poems under my blankets by flashlight at night. It is an intrinsic part of me, and now in the heart of middle age I don’t want to keep waiting for perfection, so good enough is good enough.
The world is a better place when we share meaningful parts of ourselves. Art doesn’t need to be perfect to be worthy of sharing. Life is ephemeral. Your art isn’t going to be for everyone. Little is perfect or universal. That’s okay. What is mediocre or trite to one person will speak to another. Share your art with the world.