It’s Okay to be Mediocre [no really!]

The rule, sometimes unspoken but all too often loud and clear, is that we’re supposed to be pushing towards excellence constantly. We are expected to strive for perfection, even though that’s not practical or even achievable; no one, no matter how good, is perfect. That’s even more true in the creative process, and the stress of trying to rise head and shoulders above the rest can be destructive to the creative process. We NEED our time of mediocrity as creatives in order to grow at our art. [I’ll come back to this in a moment.] And honestly?

I’d rather have a flawed but honest and real attempt at art than one that tries too hard to be immaculate.

Very few people will reach the sublime heights of near-flawlessness. The bulk of the world is made up of efforts that range from excellent to poor, with a median that could be considered mediocre. The “sufficient but not in any way remarkable” efforts are what surround us in everyday life, and they’re FINE. They do the heavy lifting in the world, making up the bulk of what we rely on but barely notice, precisely because they’re unremarkable. The design of the local grocery store? Mediocre but serviceable. No one’s expecting excellence in grocery store architecture! 

Maybe that rankles you as a creative. “I want to be known for my beautiful turns of phrase/use of color and texture/compelling singing voice/etc!” I absolutely get that, and I am the same way about *some* of my creative output.

But not all of it.

Some things are never going to be fully in your grasp. That’s okay. You can be mediocre at them! You can just be average and still share them with other people, even! I’m an average singer, with a big voice but not necessarily the most amazing one. Didn’t stop me from fronting bands and having fans! I used my vocal flaws to my advantage alongside my enthusiasm, and won people over. I also improved the longer I practiced and performed, which is something that helped to raise my level quite a bit. I worked on it because I enjoyed it, not because I felt pushed to be the Best Vocalist in Goth or something. It was work of the creative soul, not an obligation.

I needed that time of mediocrity in order to grow.

I had to embrace the idea that I could perform even when I wasn’t at a level that was perfect and just do it so that I could improve my abilities.

That’s the same for writing. Lots of writers will tell you this: we think our later books are infinitely better than our earlier ones. That’s simply a function of improving as we practice. Releasing books earlier in our careers, before we’ve gained the knowledge and skill we have later on, is part of that practice. As a writer, I’ve gained as much by putting work out as a newbie as I have writing those later works. 

You have to be willing to put yourself out there, in all your imperfect glory. That’s where the growth happens. And it will happen in full view of your audience, which is also part of the learning and growth process. 

You may never move from mediocre in some of your creative outlets. That’s also okay. You can’t be great at everything! It doesn’t negate the importance of exploring those paths. All creative outlets give us lessons that apply universally. 

Just do it, and don’t worry too much about perfection.

Be exquisitely human, be ready to make mistakes, embrace the perfectly flawed nature of who we are as creative creatures who are always still learning. 

This was originally posted for my supporters over at Ko-fi. If you’d like to read more posts like this or support my work, please take a look at https://ko-fi.com/threeravenspress

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