An Unfinished Idea
The endless pursuit of better
Most of the greatest artists of our time are never truly satisfied with their work.
Why is that?
We call their creations masterpieces, yet the artist often feels disappointed with the final form.
Many believe it’s because the work isn’t perfect. But I think it’s deeper than that. It’s not about perfection—it’s about the work falling short of the artist’s imagined potential. Most artists hold a vision that stretches beyond their current abilities, and that gap makes it hard to fully appreciate what they’ve completed. They know something better exists, beyond the work’s present form.
The pursuit of better can chip away at an artist’s confidence. But on the flip side, there’s something beautiful in knowing a work is never truly finished. That gap: a space between what is and what could be—fuels lifelong creative practice. It’s the desire to improve that keeps us going, in any worthwhile endeavor.
Daniel Brown is a writer and design professor. Follow him on Instagram @dbjmms. Thanks for reading and subscribing.
I'm in that struggle everyday, trying to move foward while feeling like the work is never truly finished and also having a vision that's bigger than current capacity. I've not yet learned how to fully make peace with it.
I see it as less about perfection, though some artists do think this way, and I think it is more along the lines of making the idea conveyed as clear as possible.
I write about various aspects of creating and aesthetics, from a maker’s point of view and an audience’s view. You may like my latest post about interpretation. https://ricksorenson.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/168820343?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished