Helsink Bus Station at the start
Each bus takes the same route out of the city for at least a kilometer, stopping at bus stop intervals along the way.
At the start, you always follow the path of what others have done before
Shocked, you realize that what you have been doing for three years others have already done
Similar to creative life
This goes on all your creative life, always showing new work, always being compared to others.”
Do the same thing as what others have done for a long time
“It’s simple,” he said. “Stay on the bus. Stay on the f*cking bus. Because if you do, in time, you will begin to see a difference.”
Only if you stay long enough in the same path as other, will you carve out your own unique path
“The buses that move out of Helsinki stay on the same line, but only for a while—maybe a kilometer or two. Then they begin to separate, each number heading off to its own unique destination.
What it feels like when the difference starts
Suddenly your work starts to get noticed. Now you are working more on your own, making more of the difference between your work and what influenced it. Your vision takes off
How it looks like at the end
It could be the end of your career as an artist or the end of your life for that matter, but your total output is now all there before you, the early (so-called) imitations, the breakthroughs, the peaks and valleys, the closing masterpieces, all with the stamp of your unique vision.”
Mastery == Consistency
I write frequently about how mastery requires consistency. That includes ideas like putting in your reps , improving your average speed , and falling in love with boredom
Differences among the average, best and the most elite
Average college students learn ideas once. The best college students re-learn ideas over and over… Elite novelists re-write chapters again and again.
Revision is done even by the best
Average fitness enthusiasts mindlessly follow the same workout routine each week. The best athletes actively critique each repetition and constantly improve their technique. It is the revision that matters most.
When does the genius reveal itself?
It’s only by staying on board that mastery reveals itself. Show up enough times to get the average ideas out of the way and every now and then genius will reveal itself.
We try to change often thinking it will be better
Any creator who tries to move society forward will experience failure. Too often, we respond to these failures by calling a cab and getting on another bus line. Maybe the ride will be smoother over there.
Toughest decision
Instead, we should stay on the bus and commit to the hard work of revisiting, rethinking, and revising our ideas. In order to do that, however, you must answer the toughest decision of all. Which bus will you ride? What story do you want to tell with your life? What craft do you want to spend your years revising and improving?