Why Your Writing is Good Enough: Lessons from Bad Poetry
I know a lot about bad poetry—primarily because I’ve written so much of it. But my experience with writing (and reading) bad poetry has taught me something about letting my poetry be “good enough.”
One of the first lessons of writing in any form or genre is that writing is foremost a process. In the end, there is no right or wrong creative process, which begins to highlight why your writing is always “good enough.”
Perfectionism: Self vs. Writing
Never being satisfied with the creative product (a poem, a story, an essay, etc.) of our writing means that we’ve assigned a kind of label to it: “not good enough.” The problem with not letting our writing be good enough is that it tends to disguise an underlying belief that we are “not good enough” as writers. If that poem or story or essay or novel were better, then we’d prove on some level that we are “good” writers.
In other words, we continue to strive towards perfectionism, which has little to do with what we produce and much to do with how we think of ourselves. Perfectionism is a zero-sum game. It is an ego-ideal rather than a reality. What is perfect is not our humanity (that’s impossible); rather, our creativity is always perfect—a perfect product of the creative universe.
What does this mean?
It means that our writings are always-already good enough.
The Myth of the Never-Ending Edit
A great example of how we come to believe our writing is never quite good enough is the popular myth that the products of our writing (our poems or stories) are never quite finished. We are told and we often tell ourselves that any given poem could always be better, when the truth may be that the poem itself is already utterly brilliant and indeed finished.
As another example, I’ve found in my vast experience of writing bad poetry that there are simply times when no amount of tinkering will make a poem better. It might make it different, but not better. And more significantly, a bad poem may always be simply a bad poem. When I write a bad poem, what I need to do is let it go, let it be bad, and write a different poem, not continue to tweak and edit and tell myself that it can be better.
Creative Self vs. Creative Product
Writing bad poetry has taught me that I must draw a distinction between my ego—my sense of self, or my identity as a writer—and the creative products of my writing.
I wrote about the importance of this separation between one’s self and one’s writing in a somewhat controversial, yet also highly praised article, entitled “Why You Are Not Your Writing.”
One point I made in this piece is that confusing our writings with our egos means we conflate our creative success or failure as artists with the success or failure of our writings. In other words, when our poem or story fails, then we ourselves somehow also become failures.
The Perfection of Creativity
This is not to suggest that we settle with less than we are capable, but that we love our poetry and our creative work a little bit more, that we accept it for what it is—the creative product of our talents in any given moment, not a comment on our creative potential as brilliant artists.
And that’s why your writing is always good enough. Because it is what it is. And no amount of tinkering, no amount of “trying to make it better,” and no amount of striving towards perfectionism will make it any more or any less than a product of your perfect and innate creativity.
When do your let your writing be “good enough”?
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Flickr photo courtesy of Jeff Safi
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You make so important a point in this well-written essay, Ami.
Maureen´s last [type] ..Monday Muse- South Dakotas Poet Laureate
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 10:50 am
Thank you, Maureen! I always so appreciate your generosity and your support!
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This encourages me so much! I write for and edit a magazine, and I never feel that what I write or what I edit is ready, but it must be sent off because those deadlines always loom. The deadlines have made “good enough” a little more palatable, but not quite.
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 6:32 am
I’m so glad you found some encouragement from this article, Megan! I completely understand where you’re coming from! When I was freelancing, I too had to let go of a lot pieces that weren’t “ready,” which was utterly excruciating at time. In fact, this article wasn’t “ready” in my mind, but as an experiment in challenging my own perfectionism, I pressed “publish” (which literally made me cringe) and let it go into the universe–warts and all.
So, I think it’s well-worth working on letting our writing be “good enough.” You never know who you might encourage, entertain, or inform with your work that’s not quite “ready.”
Good luck with your writing!
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Perfectionism has haunted me for years. I didn’t start a journal because I believed that everything that I entered had to be profound. In high school, I didn’t write in my best friends annual because I thought that I had to write something memorable and meaningful and nothing that I thought of was good enough. Recently, I started free writing and it is amazing what can come out of this “imperfection.” Thank you. This is a great article!
Kelly´s last [type] ..Piece of My Heart
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 6:37 am
Wow, Kelly! It sounds like you’ve found a cure for your perfectionism! Good for you!
I highly recommend free writing as an excellent writing practice. You simply can’t be “perfect” when you’re free writing, or fast writing. So, it’s a great exercise in letting that “terrible” stuff happen so the brilliant stuff can come out.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and good luck with your creative pursuits!
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Great article! I read it aloud to my son, who’s in high school and likes to draw. Your thoughts apply to any creative endeavor.
christine´s last [type] ..Dream 2
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 6:40 am
Thank you, Christine! I’m so glad you shared this article with your son. I believe it is precisely when we’re first starting out as artists that we most need to hear that perfectionism usually fails to serve our creativity.
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Ami, “perfect” just isn’t something I think about as a poet. Creativity’s pleasure seems to be in the never-arriving. Play’s the thing, yes?
A. Leahy´s last [type] ..Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 6:44 am
Absolutely! I believe experimentation and play are so important to our poetry and creativity. Throughout my blog, you’ll find the theme of artistic play–play as an experimentation with words and meaning, but also play as an engagement with other activities that enhance our creativity. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Sorry I”m coming late to this party…I’ve been torturing myself trying to get an assignment for a class done just right…
But, I’m so glad you pushed “publish.” I know one reason I started blogging was to get past perfectionism. Blogging didn’t feel as “real” to me as traditional publishing, so I felt better able to put things out there that aren’t as polished as I’d normally like. Now, I’m even starting to let typos go, if I notice them after the post has been published for a few days.
I can see now that trying to get my poems perfect kept me from writing more of them, and that writing more is the only way to write better. I know the writing I’m doing in my blog will eventually lead to some kick-ass poems.
Rita´s last [type] ..One of my kind- Gratitude 112410
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 25th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Rita, I love your attitude! Perhaps because we think alike!
I believe that all the writing I do–imperfect, incomplete, or just plain bad–will eventually lead back to my poetry and stories. And blogging is no exception from the work that is honing my writing and thinking skills and helping me to look at poetry, writing, and creativity in new and different ways. And yes, blogging is definitely challenging my perfectionism!
I’m glad you stopped torturing yourself with getting your assignment “just right” long enough to stop by and join the conversation! I always appreciate your insight and your experience!
Thanks!
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When I was younger I used to hang onto my poems for months before declaring them finished adding in and taking out the proverbial comma. The aim was perfection. The problem with perfection is that it’s a relative term. A hammer is a perfect implement for banging nails into a bit of wood but a sledgehammer is no good breaking up toffee. Some of my poems have been perfect – I’ve said exactly what I intended to say using exactly the right words to say it – but those selfsame poems have also failed to connect with some readers. The problem with a poem is that it leaves its writer in an incomplete state. It’s as finished as it can be but it is not complete until it is read. And all readers are different. They bring their own baggage which is why the same poem can have someone in tears and have another shrugging and turning the page. I’ve noticed this recently when people have reviewed my book of poetry: no one has chosen to highlight what I think are my best pieces. They’ve picked the ones that touch them.
It’s been a long time since I’ve written any bad poetry. I know enough to know when a poem isn’t working and I’ll put it aside to look at in a few months or I’ll abandon it all together. That doesn’t mean every piece I write is a work of staggering genius but if I’ve said what I meant to say as best I can then I leave well alone. Does it matter if I say, “Wait a minute,” or “Wait a moment,” or “Wait a second”? No. None of them are accurate anyway. I’m actually asking someone to wait for an indeterminate length of time but we don’t talk like lawyers and we shouldn’t write poems like them either.
Jim Murdoch´s last [type] ..Defacing the world
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 25th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
What a fantastic commentary, Jim! I like your definition of “perfect”–when you’ve said what you intend to say as best you can. Nice! For me, that’s the definition of “finished.”
I also appreciate your views about the poem’s incompleteness (until it’s read) and how readers bring with them their own subjective opinions and experiences. I find it odd sometimes which of my poems and spoken word pieces appeal to people and which ones just don’t seem to translate. Does that mean those less-favored poems are somehow bad? I don’t think so. I think it just means they haven’t found an audience yet. But hey, that’s show business!
I so enjoy your comments and your perspectives. Thank you for sharing your insights and experience!
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Hey Ami,
great post as usual. your entries always make me pause, take a look in the mirror, re-evaluate my writing. I have to say that I used to aim for perfection from a reader’s p.o.v., & that used to always freeze me up, I hardly wrote anything concentrating on the one poem. now free writes, exercises, journaling has helped me to trust myself, & know perfection is relative in my mind & somedays I’ll love what I’ve written & sometimes it’s trash, but at least, the writing is alive.
sMichelle´s last [type] ..on Burnings
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 4:16 am
sMichelle, It sounds like you’ve found some great strategies to deal with the mind-trip(trick?) of perfectionism. And what a great attitude: “the writing is alive.” In my mind, that’s what it’s all about–keeping our writing vibrant and alive, which is a messy, imperfect process!
Thanks for sharing your experience! Lots to learn from it!
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Ami, awesome post. It reminds me of being self-employed. What a great reminder to separate my self from my creative/my self-employed/etc self. My writing and my work aren’t me, they are (to quote you)…”the creative product of our talents in any given moment, not a comment on our creative potential as brilliant artists.” So true & so timely for me
I think it’s hard for me to let a bad article go, as I keep hammering a way at it. It would be so freeing to let it go. There are times for persistence and then there are times for separation. I would need to re-frame my thinking about time as not wasted but detoured and rediscovered.
Marci´s last [type] ..Shining Light on Communication Traps
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 4:36 am
Thank you, Marci. I’m so glad you found the article useful!
I feel you on the “letting go” problem. When I was freelancing, I had to let go of articles I was dissatisfied with on a regular basis. That, or I spent too much time, and with each passing hour, my wage got smaller and smaller, which finally became my primary incentive for letting stuff go much earlier. And I was ultimately rewarded for that gesture because I never received a rejection. What I found is that because journalism tends to be deadline driven, everyone has to eventually let their pieces be “good enough.”
Also, I think your solution for re-framing your thinking is a great one. I believe time spent on honing our skills is never “wasted.” And “detoured and rediscovered” is a great way to think of the creative process.
Finally, I love your distinction between the time to persist and the time to separate. That’s one distinction I didn’t emphasize in this article; so I appreciate you bringing it up in your comment. Ultimately, we have to learn the difference between seeking mastery of our skills and beating the proverbial dead horse.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
PS–I read a couple of articles from your blog, and I really like what you’re doing!
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Marci Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Thank you again for the food for thought and lively discussion. And, of course, thank you for your encouragement on my blog
Marci´s last [type] ..Shining Light on Communication Traps
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Hi Ami –
Visiting from A-List Blogger’s Club. Love your blog – I will be back!
Leisa LaDell´s last [type] ..52 things I know about words and you should too 4 Words Elevate
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Leisa!
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Yes. Totally. Both in my work with students as a writing tutor and as a writer who makes a poem (for better or worse) every day these words ring true. They give solid vocabulary to the sometimes unnamable “yes” I need to give myself (and try to make space for others to give to themselves) to be wrong, or uncomfortable, or just plain ugly with my words.
In my view a piece of writing/set of creative words can never be that eternal “perfect”. Which is totally okay, because that kind of label makes the writing dangerously static; allows no room for new and exciting interpretation. “Letting go” is definitely a part of the writing process! It lets the language be more completely alive in the minds of others. Again that is for better or for worse. But i for one think the risk of not being perfect is totally worth it!
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Ami Mattison Reply:
December 1st, 2010 at 6:00 pm
I totally love your attitude, Wendy! It’s so true that we need to give ourselves the space “to be wrong, or uncomfortable, or just plain ugly” with our words. What particularly piques my interest is the word “uncomfortable.” Because it can be soooo uncomfortable to take “the risk of not being perfect.” And yet, I whole-heartedly agree–it’s totally worth it! It’s much better for our writing to be alive and thrashing than static and near-dead!
Thanks for sharing your insight and enthusiasm!
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Hi, Ami. I especially liked this particular post when I first read it a few months ago and have just linked to it in a comment on a new blog on Rilke (http://yearwithrilke.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-choose-to-begin.html)that I and another blogger friend have just started. So I thought I’d pop back in here, let you know and wish you a happy new year.
Lorenzo — The Alchemist’s Pillow´s last [type] ..Christmas birdsong
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Ami Mattison Reply:
January 2nd, 2011 at 8:31 am
Happy New Year, Lorenzo! Thank you for linking this article. Your blog looks fascinating. I love Rilke! Not only do I quote him often but I seek out his words for inspiration on a regular basis. Good luck with your new blog!
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This is an interesting post, but I am not quite sure I agree. Much of the writing I do is instinctive, it comes from my intuitive reaction to things. I have been reading around the subject and realise that people look for really great content on the internet. I wonder if mine is ‘really great’. I am not a perfectionist but would my writing be appreciably better if I spent more time on it? I am going to find out by trying a different approach for a while. We’ll see…
Graham Phoenix´s last [type] ..Men Losing The Will To Live Brassed Off
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Ami Mattison Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
I don’t think we necessarily disagree, Graham. I think there’s always room for improvement in our creative skills. And ultimately there’s a difference between what we’re capable of and what we actually produce. Sometimes, I write a bad poem, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of much more. Nor does it mean that I should stop improving my skills.
In this article, I was trying to draw out the distinction between the perfection of our creativity and the perfectionism that we sometimes strive for. Obviously, I think perfectionism is unnecessary and even wrong-headed. But again, we can strive to improve our skills and we can strive to always work at our full capacity.
Definitely keep working on your writing skills, Graham! And thanks for sharing your experience!
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Ani, thank you so very much for this amazing article! These are truly words that every writer needs to read!
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