The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

October 30First Drafts

Artistic growth is, more than it is anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness. The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is. That afternoon nothing new came to Thea Kronborg, no enlightenment, no inspiration. She merely came into full possession of things she had been refining and perfecting for so long.

Willa Cather—Song of the Lark (1915)

Some days you've get to create anew; some days your job is to take “full possession of things [you have] been refining and perfecting for so long.” The trick is knowing one from the other. Enlightenment and inspiration trickle in around numberless days of editing, tweaking, testing, and recasting.

But it is a mistake to ignore these tasks or relegate them to the empty corners of your business, because this is where you discover the sense of truthfulness in your business.

First drafts, while important, are where most people stop. There's little truth in first drafts; no one has purchased your first draft and perhaps they never will. Ship, refine, ship, perfect, ship, evolve, ship the truth (for now).

Challenge Question

1. What are your expectations for this stage of your business? Are they realistic?