All over the world, in homes, offices, and studios, there are unfinished works of art that will never see the light of day. Does that sound familiar to you? Maybe you've always wanted to write a book. You started that book one day and then simply never finished it. I spoke to Columbus author Josh Smith about this very topic. Here are the highlights of our conversation.
Why is it so important that we finish our work?
Great question. I'll answer this directly in just a moment. When I'm sitting in my office, I see lots of great art. On the wall to my right are movie posters for two of my favorite films, Citizen Kane and The Searchers. On the wall to the left there is a print of Rembrandt’s masterpiece The Return of the Prodigal Son.
On the bookshelf beside me are models for some of my favorite vehicles, including the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, the DeLorean from Back to the Future, and the Mach 5 from Speed Racer. Even the MacBook I’m use everyday a work of art in itself too.
All these items were created by people who finished their work. These products and works of art began as ideas in someone’s mind, but they didn’t stay that way. Their creators worked on the concepts (usually collaborating with others) and the ideas began to take shape. But most important, they finished their work.
Why is it such a struggle to finish our work?
I think it's easy to get sidetracked. You have a great idea, you start to work on it, and you build momentum. You might even share it with a few people. But then as you work on it, you start to lose steam. Life gets busy, you lose focus, and you don't finish your work.
I've got an example: the movie Superman Lives. You say you’ve never heard of this movie? That’s because it was never made. In the 1990’s, Warner Bros. decided to resurrect the Superman franchise. They cycled through a few directors before landing on Tim Burton, who had given the studio great success with his Batman movies. Screenwriters worked on several drafts of a script. Production staff worked on sets and special effects. Nicholas Cage was cast as the Superman and filmed screen tests with the redesigned costume.
But after years of development and endless problems, the studio shut down production. A great deal of time and energy, not to mention millions of dollars, went down the drain and Superman Lives was never finished.
I think that everyone has a “might have been” story. It may not be a big Hollywood movie, but I’ll bet you’ve started something you'd love to finish. It might be a book, a piece of music, a painting, or something you’re building or making with your hands. You want to finish it, but you just can’t seem to find the time. In the bottom of someone’s desk drawer, there is an Oscar-winning screenplay. It just needs to be finished. On someone’s hard drive, there is a life-changing novel. It just needs to be finished. In someone’s closet, there is a painting worthy of display in a gallery. It just needs to be finished.
I totally agree. But how is the best way to finish?
I think the truth is actually really simple. Just get started. Do the next logical step. I know it's very easy to overthink things and plan and research, but those actually won't help. Just do the very next logical step that comes to your mind. I recommend starting there.
Wow, that's so inspiring. Thanks so much, Josh, for sharing these powerful thoughts.