Contradictions in Productivity - Part 1

It seems that in order to produce creative work, one must be o.k. with the cognitive dissonance that comes with accepting two seemingly opposite viewpoints at the same time.  I'll share a few examples that we face when doing creative work.

Part 1: Making It Perfect vs Getting Started
You certainly wouldn't want to launch your new software product without first testing its primary features.  On the other hand, if you're determined to work out all of the bugs then your project may never see the light of day (and you'll never truly get started).

We've all heard about writer's block, lack of inspiration, paralysis of analysis, and the fear of permanence as being barriers to producing creative work.  However, the process of just working on your art* is likely to spark the muse and cement your conviction in what you have to say.  If the fear of not perfectly expressing yourself stops you from getting started then you're missing out on the refining, constantly perfecting nature of just working on it.


*Art, as defined by Seth Godin's brilliant book Linchpin, means "emotional work".