How Ditching Perfectionism Changed the Way I Create

Some tips on getting started without waiting for permission.

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

It’s a great time to be a creator.

Successful Medium and Substack writer Tim Denning calls this era the ‘Permissionless economy’ because we no longer need permission to create.

Think about it - in the past, if you wanted to write, you had to beg a newspaper or another media publication to work for them.

Or you had to write a book and try to get it published.

If you were a creator in other mediums, whether painting, dance, acting, or singing, you often had to go through the gatekeepers to get exposure and more significant opportunities.

If you were lucky, you would make a name for yourself and get more work. If not, you would keep slaving away, hoping to be noticed.

Now, you can write online. You don’t have to ask anyone.

You don’t have to get ‘approved’ by an executive suite.

The same goes for any creation. You can start a YouTube channel, publish your music on Spotify, start a podcast, and sell your art on Etsy.

Being a creator has never been easier.

Making a living from it can be challenging, but there are more options than ever to get your art out there.

But you have to see your value.

You must permit yourself to create without external validation.

And I know from experience that that’s often easier said than done.

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I’ve been a writer for over fifteen years.

In 2005, I started blogging and created a brand.

I wrote hundreds of articles.

My work has been featured by sports governing bodies, state publications, and in programs for major sporting events.

I became a published author at 21.

Still, it took me over a year to start writing on Medium and almost that long to start a Substack.

• I was afraid of people I knew reading my work.

• I worried no one would read my writing.

• I worried that people would read my writing.

• I thought I had to write about ‘what I knew’ rather than following my interests.

• I believed I had to have a ‘niche’ and a plan for my writing.

• I didn’t think I had anything that profound to say.

Eventually, I got over myself and started writing.

At first, no one found my posts.

Then, in May 2023, my first article got boosted; to date, it’s gotten over 17,000 views and just shy of 10k reads.

That boost reassured me that I could do this online writing thing.

After that chance boost, I realized I’d have more exposure and boost potential if I started submitting to Medium publications.

My first efforts at one of the most prominent publications were met with a terse ‘thanks but no thanks,’ even though I thought I had met the criteria.

Eventually, I found friendlier waters. I started getting my work published in pubs like Illumination and Invisible Illness. With each acceptance, I felt a little better about my work.

I kept writing and getting boosted.

So far, I’ve been boosted 13 times (3 times last month!).

The extra money is perhaps the most significant perk, but a close second is the continuous encouragement the boost provides.

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After I stopped writing for other freelance clients in 2023, I realized how reliant I had been on other people’s acceptance. Other people’s permission.

Even after years of writing for publications, I still had imposter syndrome.

I was always waiting for someone to tell me I was good enough.

When no one did that, I didn’t write and did everything possible to avoid it.

• I took part in ‘how-to’ writing classes and cohorts.

• I read writers like Tim Denning and Dan Koe, trying to motivate myself.

• I joined communities.

• I commented on other people’s work and envied their ability to be vulnerable.

• I overthought my blog title, my ‘about me,’ the niches I would cover, what my first post would be about (because the first one is the most important)….and on and on.

But then I realized I was stalling with endless preparation, hoping it would make me feel more ‘ready.’ I thought I would finally be successful if I learned everything there was to know about writing here.

But all I was doing was putting off the actual work.

Here’s my advice if you are going through the same thing.

Just start.

You don’t need permission. You don’t need anyone to validate your ideas.

Just start.

As someone who spent a year agonizing over writing on Medium and about six months doing the same regarding Substack, I feel uniquely qualified to tell you that all the time you devote to overthinking can be better spent doing.

Now, I wish I had started sooner. I wish I had put that time and energy I spent ruminating and chasing ‘how-tos’ into actually writing.

We learn by doing. We figure out what works and what doesn’t as we go along.

No, you don’t need to have it all figured out.

You don’t need to know what your blog will be called. Call it (Your Name) Blog. Name it after your pet. Give it a random placeholder name.

Just get started.

You can always change it later.

The same goes for your niches. I agree with Tim Denning on this one—going ‘anti-niche’ is so much easier, especially if you are new.

Similarly, Medium legend Tom Kuegler noted that you should follow your curiosity and write about what interests you.

Your Substack publication name doesn’t necessarily have to reflect what you write about, either.

People who like your voice and perspectives will find and follow you, no matter what your Substack publication name or bio says.

If you already had a ‘brand’ before, you don’t need to adhere to that now (unless you want to)

The first Substack I started was a reboot of my original blog, Lake Placid Skater.

I thought writing would be easier if I reinvigorated an old property.

It was fun, but I enjoy writing about other topics unrelated to sports or figure skating.

So, I started this one, too.

It’s liberating because I know I can write whatever I want.

As Tim Denning said, none of us have the brand recognition of McDonald’s. You’re not obligated to write about the same things forever.

We can reinvent ourselves anytime.

Make your writing a reflection of your true self.

Your ideas don’t need to be 💯 unique.

"There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages."

- Mark Twain

He’s right.

There’s no such thing as a completely new idea.

We take in information and filter it through our internal filters, drawing on personal experiences and biases to understand situations and draw conclusions.

What comes out is rarely unique in concept, but it can be exceptional in execution.

One could argue that great thinkers like Einstein DID create something entirely new, but everyone has influences.

I first realized this while writing a TV show treatment a few years ago. I was upset my idea wasn’t wholly original.

Then I read that pitches often reference other shows to provide context for the show's style.

For example, if your pitch is Gilmore Girls set in Space, it takes a familiar concept and puts it in a different context, creating a new story.

That blew my mind. I didn’t know I could reference and remix other shows.

But all stories borrow from each other.

What matters is the unique spin and personal perspective you alone can share.

It’s never going to be perfect.

I read somewhere that perfectionism isn’t about actual perfection but about the situation feeling perfect.

We tell ourselves our dream has to wait until:

• we feel ready.

• we feel good enough.

• we get permission to put our work out there.

But you’re never going to feel perfect. If you wait for that, you’ll never publish.

My first stories didn’t break 50 views, and they weren’t perfect.

I doubt anyone I know reads my work, and if they do, so what?

Life improved when I stopped worrying about creating perfect work and realized no one cared what I did.

Imperfect published work is better than a perfect unpublished draft.

People want to read your unique story told openly.

We’re all storytellers. We all have a unique way of writing and communicating with the world.

Anyone can write an impersonal self-help or how-to article with AI now.

But AI can’t share personal anecdotes or insights.

AI can’t be human, no matter how well it pretends otherwise.

People want to feel something. They want a story. They want to learn something from other humans.

But most importantly, they want authenticity. They want to know they aren’t alone.

The most difficult posts to write on Medium tended to be my most popular. Sometimes, they even got boosted.

Why?

Because I was being vulnerable.

I wasn’t trying to hide my humanity - I was finally putting it on display.

I just started writing about ADHD and mental health a few weeks ago.

Sharing about my mental struggles, including the time I had a mental health crisis, felt scary. But it was also cathartic. It resonated with people.

Start sharing your experiences with vulnerability and heart, and watch your writing practice improve.

We wait for permission because we don’t trust ourselves.

We don’t trust that we know what is best for us. Especially if, like me, you have low self-esteem.

But the only way to build trust (and self-esteem) is to stop seeking permission from everyone else, trust your gut, and share your story.

I’m not saying you should share something before you feel ready or if you think it will hurt yourself or someone else.

But we tend to hold back too often because we believe someone else needs to tell us what to do or how to do it.

Your confidence will grow as you practice using your intuition and speaking your truth.

And hopefully, you’ll inspire others to do the same.