Stop Being Precious: The Creative Power of Making and Discarding

My brother is an artist and illustrator. For as long as I can remember, he’s produced an endless stream of images and ideas for books, TV, and stage. One lesson he learned early on (and generously shared with me) was the importance of being willing to waste your creativity.

That idea might sound counterintuitive at first. But what he meant was this: don’t be afraid to make things and throw them away if they’re not working. Let go of the pressure for every creation to be precious. Trust that you can make another, and another, and another. That mindset builds a strong creative muscle and, more importantly, a quiet faith in your ability to do the work again.

Over the years, I’ve often come across artists who place immense value and significance on a single piece of work, often because they haven’t made many. Like an overbearing parent with an only child, they coddle the life out of it. They overwork it. And more often than not, they ruin it.

In my experience, the most successful artists are the ones who are prolific, collaborative, and generous in spirit. They’re confident in their ability to keep creating high-quality work, so they’re not precious about one piece. They welcome input. They’re open to change. They let the magic of creativity flow through them, but they also know when to step back and let a piece evolve into something else.

Ownership and copyright are other areas where creativity can get unintentionally throttled. Of course, protecting your work has its place. But if you believe you’ve birthed a “golden egg” that must be clutched tightly, untouched by others, you might be depriving it of its full potential. Creativity needs oxygen, not bubble wrap.

I don’t mean to downplay the importance of artist rights…far from it. But this is one of the fine lines we must walk. When we stay in the habit of creating and recreating, we begin to realise that we are the source. The well doesn’t run dry. And the best way to keep it flowing is to stop believing that the last thing you made is the best thing you’ll ever make.