Done beats perfect

I continue to be fascinated by the effects of time slack on creative output. Too much time makes me do nothing. Too little time stresses me out but forces me to get things done. The in-between is to commit to the practice (in Seth Godin's terms), to systems, not goals, ala James Clear—to engage in your craft daily in search of practice and consistency.

Daily drawing, writing, and weekly publishing are systems—there's no explicit goal. Yet this lets me cherry-pick among dozens of ideas when I want to publish.

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I reached for my sketchbook and 005 Micron pen while lying on the couch. Two loose sketches of my right foot in distinct positions count as a daily drawing. I urge myself to comply.¹ Creative friction is everywhere, so the trick is to make your process as frictionless as possible.

Quick is easier than detailed; ink is easier than watercolor.

Of course, optimizing for quick and easy reduces the effectiveness of the habit and can lead to creative cheating. You must exert effort to get better. But some practice, every day, beats the ideal and sporadic training session.