The Creative’s Curse

I’m totally obsessed with Pinterest. Pinning has become my go-to free time activity. (My poor lonely books!) A few extra minutes at the Dr.’s office waiting for my appointment? I’m pinning. Standing in line at the grocery story? Yep, still pinning. (Check out my boards.)

As a tech-focused marketer, I’m really interested in how Pinterest was created and what qualities make it so attractive to such a wide range of people. So naturally, when I saw this article about Pinterest, I couldn’t resist diving in and learning more.

Having little to do with the product, and more with the frame of mind of Pinterest’s creator, this quote grabbed my attention.

“I think anyone who makes products has this simultaneous joy and, almost, shame looking at it. You look at it all day and all you can see is all these things you want to make better.”

– Ben Silbermann, the founder of Pinterest

Though I’ve never created anything as popular or successful as Mr. Silbermann, I can relate to this way of thinking. Every time I publish a new blog post or share something I’ve written for work or pleasure, I experience a rush of both excitement and regret.

Excitement because I love writing. The process itself, though sometimes painstaking, makes me feel alive. I enjoy communicating from my heart and inviting people into my head. (Enter at your own risk!)

Regret because there are usually a million and one ways I could make the piece better. My sometimes neurotic, type A personality makes it all too easy to get caught in an endless cycle of revisions, especially when it comes to grammar. Yes, I know the rules. No, I don’t enjoy following all of them. At some point I have to draw a line in the sand and release it into the wild for feedback.

And that makes me feel vulnerable. I’m sharing this thing I’ve created from the heart. I’m a little proud, and also a little ashamed because I can spot the deficiencies. I’m sure some of my posts and pieces of writing have been complete disasters, but those failures push me to improve and create something better.

There is always a risk in sharing something you’ve created. I think it is worth it, and I’m glad Pinterest’s creator does, too.