This is my last post about XOXO — promise!
As we were heading back to the long-term parking in SFO, I asked T. what, if anything, she would like to change after the week-end we spent at XOXO. Many talks hit close to home over that week-end but two in particular were gems of wisdom, if only because they could pack a strong punch into very few words. I’m not a big fan of inspirational quotes but these ones will remain with me for a while:
- “Fuck your dreams” Hank Green
- “Creative recognition is largely a matter of luck” Darius Kazemi
- “You have no obligation to your former self, he is dumber than you and doesn’t exist” (Hank Green, again)
T. said she needed time to process the talks and as far as I can tell, she’s done a lot of thinking. As for me, the talk make me pause and think about the way I work and the way I deliver my work.
I write software for a living. In the same way designers use Dribbble to maintain a portfolio, I use GitHub to put out stuff I’d be proud to show a potential employer, or proud to show my parents — I put a lot of attention and care into those because that’s how I want to be perceived to these groups. Sometimes, I’m not even starting a cool project for fear that it’s not going to be good enough. Almost like a reverse writer’s block.
I have interest in doing these things and I learn a lot in the process — but it’s not entirely fun. And if you’re not paid for something, you should at the very least have fun doing it. So, this is what I’m gonna try to do to remedy this.
Write more and Publish more
I like writing — even though I don’t read much, I’ve always enjoyed the act of writing, be it for myself of for an audience. Practice doesn’t make perfect, but sitting on your couch is unlikely to get you anywhere. I don’t really care that I write poorly, it’s not gonna get better if I keep dorking around Stellar.io instead of actually typing words and press the Publish button. The dreadful and cathartic green button. Opening this blog and keeping it alive is one thing I am resolved to do. Writing and publishing more code is another.
Haste is okay
There are things that I want to make, and I shouldn’t care to make them to be hired, recognized or rich. So, writing and publishing a half-assed blog post is totally fine – it doesn’t matter if it’s meant for me or the rest of the world. And the same thing goes about software. Ultimately, you are unlikely to succeed (if at all) for the piece of work you are the most proud of. So, just ship whatever you have and someone else might find it decent enough to like it.