“Because the barrier is so low, the bar is now so high”

The weather tonight is odd: it’s in the 80s as the sun was setting. It feels like a Pittsburgh summer…perfect for walking around the block a few times.

And so it was a good evening for podcast-listening. Early on in a Creative Giant show episode, the speakers made the above comment (they were bouncing off each other, so I think they both get credit).

I have found their aside to be (a) deeply true and (b) ignored. Isn’t that strange? Wouldn’t you think that, with the wealth of stuff drifting around on the interwebs, folk creating new things would survey the landscape and think, “Good gravy. If I’m ever going to be recognized, I’m going to have to deliver some highly-polished work.”

Maybe I’m being uncharitable. Maybe what’s out there is as polished as each creator can manage. But dang it sure looks to me as if the dominant approach is, “Low barrier? I can quickly toss something out there!”

I sure was happy last spring when one of my friends said, “Oh, wait. That website’s yours? I thought the post you sent was on a professional site!” (Though I certainly wouldn’t mind being included on a site with a larger reach.)

Running rocks through the tumbler, that’s my goal. Those machines may be noisy, but what comes out the other side is shiny and beautiful no matter how it starts out.

 

On the other hand, I submitted a brand-new poem this morning. Written last Friday to align with a specific call for work that closes at month-end. What’s that, four days old? I did get more eyeballs than mine to check it over. But I’m sure it could stand more polish.

Fair enough. I’ll throw only small, shiny criticism-stones. That way if they are thrown back they’ll only crack the panes of glass…
and look pretty where they fall.

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