Finished. Not Perfect.

One of my all-time favorite quotes is only three words long:

“Real artists ship.”

— Steve Jobs

Jobs was legendary for his perfectionism and for never settling for mediocrity. He saw the task of building computers (and the software they run) as inherently creative work, and he encouraged his team to think of themselves as artists.

But at the same, he knew that mere ideas weren’t enough. Products had to be finished, often on a deadline. These beautiful designs and creative solutions had to, at some point, make their way into the hands of consumers as tangible products. Real artists ship.

Along those same lines, here’s a wonderful short video where Jake Parker argues in favor of “Finished Not Perfect“:

What are you “not finishing” out of the desire for musical perfection?

Are you putting off posting a recording of yourself to SoundCloud or making a YouTube video?

Waiting to sit in on a jam, or play for your friends and family, or participate in a recital until you’re “good enough”?

One of the things I’m shooting for this year is recognizing when I’m letting perfectionism get in the way of “finishism”. Who’s with me on this? We’re “real artists”, aren’t we?Let’s start shipping!