I’m a photographer and budding graphics designer and I felt as if he speaking directly to me. I cried a little because I finally got advice that pertained directly to my struggles. That indescribable gap between taste & actual skill is so unsettling, it makes you feel as if you’re not cut out for that thing you love & appreciate so much. Although I had no intentions of ever giving up, knowing that its universal struggle among creative people just makes me want to push even harder. Thanks Ira!
@MrIdrovetheepb he hosts a sort of documentary style radio show about interesting stories about peoples lives. Sometimes they make you life, sometimes they make you cry, but they're always awesome.
The thing is...there are LOADS of work that go into any story that are actually "invisible" when done properly. You only notice them when they're done poorly. You notice when the characters are 2-dimensional...when the writer sits down and figures out personalities and basic background info for everyone in the story...you don't notice it when you read it, it just feels real. When you start, you screw these things up and you notice that they're missing, but it takes years to get the hang of it.
Fuck... that sucked and he had 8 years of experience? Wow, I've been a professional for 5 years and I hope I see that big difference when I see my work 20 years from now.
I went through this for fractal art, and now I'm going through it for drawing. I've managed to get four Daily Deviations (deviantART) for my fractal art, but it took me four years to get to where my art was good enough. Now I'm going through the same thing for drawing. It's SO HARD to keep going. Even though I know I have enough taste to make it--I've made it in another medium I love--my brain still tells me, "You will never get better." As a creative person, you have to ignore that voice.
Every creative person needs to know this & be reminded of it continually. Especially creative people who don't know they are! Julia Cameron - "Artist's Way" talks of "shadow artists" - people who call everyone else creative & won't bring their own creativity forward due to fear. We're all creative & we all feel fear. Let's uplift one another - like Ira does here. It will make such a difference in our world.
Here's what I'm working on - youtube.com/watch?v=IOPWovbwpXg
What nobody tells beginners - you get into it because you've got good taste - but the first couple yrs *your* stuff's not as good as yr taste. you can tell it's still crappy. it's a phase; every successful person goes through it. Do a lot of work, a huge amt; set yrself deadlines, get someone to expect it from you.
"I was a horrible reporter" "every part of this [old clip] is ill conceived" "you want to talk like you normally talk. the most moronic..." fight yr way through it.
I didn't even know who this was before this video. But this one piece of advice is what keeps me going at making music, if I never heard this I might've just "accepted" the fact that I wasn't good, I'll never be good, it's not for me and just moved on. I wouldn't be able to thank this guy enough if I become successful.
I love you, Ira Glass! When I started dancing, I knew it would take forever before I was even adequate. When I started acting, my mother told me that actors get better when they get older. Now that I'm filmmaking, it has taken 10 years for me to make my first feature after countless short films and scripts that I've written. I'm enjoying the process and you've illuminated it so well. Thank you!
Interesting points. But maintaining that you have good taste - or nurturing the idea that there's thing such as »good taste« - seems to just as big a hold-up for creating great work than lacking confidence or patience in creating your first works.
Thank you for making this video. I'll be sending this segment to several friends of mine. They give up far too easily, coming to the conclusion that they're "just not good enough", and if you add the qualifier "not yet" for them, well, then they MUST be right! It's exasperating, especially when they have a lot of talent and you can see them getting far with it, if they'd just give themselves a chance.
@doisneau It isn't just an American thing; I've heard it in plenty of Europeans, too.
But I'll encourage everyone to count the number of times they use the word "like". Even easier, count the number of times your friends use "like" in a sentence. Make it a game between each other.
"I was like, 'Where are we going?' and they were like, 'I don't know'."
"Like" expresses either pleasure or similarity. If this is "like" what you did, what did you actually do?
@peeringthrough You are welcome. And I think Suction knows what I mean. I like Glass' message but I don't like his image. That's it. No need to fuck ourselves.
@ suction: I believe your comment my reveal too much about you--that you are narrow-minded and given to over-generalizations. Yes, Ira's voice may be unique, but his show is insightful, interesting and entertaining. I encourage you to keep an open mind and check it out sometime. In the meantime, I'll try not to throw you in a condescending bucket of unfair generalizations.
He might be a clever guy, but boy, does his voice sound like he's the worst condescending hipster douchebag currently on this planet. I can't get over that voice, because it reveals too much about him.
It's good advice, but as a European I would like to know: why use the word 'like' so often? For sure this sounds natural, but quality-wise I find this bad ... it's filler language, it's lazy.
Certain people on Youtube piss me off, hes over here trying to help you get over your problems and you are disliking the video? What kinda of person would do that.
This is really inspiring and embarrassingly honest.... though I wouldn't have noticed the emphasis on every 3rd word until it was pointed out. I stopped writing songs 20 years ago because of this phenomenon.... this gives me hope to try again. With focus.... it's really hard to get through that 'hate what I make' phase though.... not sure I will.... unfortunately I've become a better critic. I totally love this though.... Thank you!
This is the single best video on all of YouTube.
DavidStoryMusic 6 days ago
it's funny seeing him making fun of himself
ohtimmay 1 week ago
Mother just drowned her two girls on Wednesday How many kids need to Burn?Sorry Ellen
h
seraphimh7 3 weeks ago
I’m a photographer and budding graphics designer and I felt as if he speaking directly to me. I cried a little because I finally got advice that pertained directly to my struggles. That indescribable gap between taste & actual skill is so unsettling, it makes you feel as if you’re not cut out for that thing you love & appreciate so much. Although I had no intentions of ever giving up, knowing that its universal struggle among creative people just makes me want to push even harder. Thanks Ira!
YouLaToya 4 weeks ago 8
@MrIdrovetheepb he hosts a sort of documentary style radio show about interesting stories about peoples lives. Sometimes they make you life, sometimes they make you cry, but they're always awesome.
ReadMyCommentBitch 1 month ago
Cheers Ira thanks for his level of connection. Thank YOU mother-of-pearl :)
aikighost 1 month ago
vimeo DOT com/24715531
seriously its a typograf video of this video.. its cut so that it applies to all. watch it.
JustAnotherGreatName 2 months ago 3
The thing is...there are LOADS of work that go into any story that are actually "invisible" when done properly. You only notice them when they're done poorly. You notice when the characters are 2-dimensional...when the writer sits down and figures out personalities and basic background info for everyone in the story...you don't notice it when you read it, it just feels real. When you start, you screw these things up and you notice that they're missing, but it takes years to get the hang of it.
EGarrett01 2 months ago
The typography version of this was so fun to hear. The words seemed to capture the character of his voice perfectly. Too bad it got taken down.
gcastellanos02 2 months ago
Fuck... that sucked and he had 8 years of experience? Wow, I've been a professional for 5 years and I hope I see that big difference when I see my work 20 years from now.
igorgue 3 months ago
We can now blame the shortage of corn on the brilliant failure known as ethanol.
mjn76 5 months ago
I went through this for fractal art, and now I'm going through it for drawing. I've managed to get four Daily Deviations (deviantART) for my fractal art, but it took me four years to get to where my art was good enough. Now I'm going through the same thing for drawing. It's SO HARD to keep going. Even though I know I have enough taste to make it--I've made it in another medium I love--my brain still tells me, "You will never get better." As a creative person, you have to ignore that voice.
fanficbug 5 months ago
This isn't about storytelling. This is about every creative endeavor. All young creators need to hear this message.
MichaelofPortland 5 months ago 6
listening to this just to hear his voice
tiffwang123 5 months ago
Great tips! Thank you for sharing your knodledge...
comoescribirunlibro 5 months ago
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
juliarosemp 6 months ago
FVCK YEA! Tell it brother!
Alice8000 6 months ago
This made me feel so much better(: thanx
improboble95 6 months ago
Thank you so much for posting this.
KJBrancaccio 6 months ago
is this woody allen's brother?
Andr4s 6 months ago 4
Every creative person needs to know this & be reminded of it continually. Especially creative people who don't know they are! Julia Cameron - "Artist's Way" talks of "shadow artists" - people who call everyone else creative & won't bring their own creativity forward due to fear. We're all creative & we all feel fear. Let's uplift one another - like Ira does here. It will make such a difference in our world.
Here's what I'm working on - youtube.com/watch?v=IOPWovbwpXg
Rock on, ya'll!
kbrowncain 7 months ago 3
Video notes:
What nobody tells beginners - you get into it because you've got good taste - but the first couple yrs *your* stuff's not as good as yr taste. you can tell it's still crappy. it's a phase; every successful person goes through it. Do a lot of work, a huge amt; set yrself deadlines, get someone to expect it from you.
"I was a horrible reporter" "every part of this [old clip] is ill conceived" "you want to talk like you normally talk. the most moronic..." fight yr way through it.
AnnaInGV 8 months ago 2
I didn't even know who this was before this video. But this one piece of advice is what keeps me going at making music, if I never heard this I might've just "accepted" the fact that I wasn't good, I'll never be good, it's not for me and just moved on. I wouldn't be able to thank this guy enough if I become successful.
Jah044445 8 months ago
I love you, Ira Glass! When I started dancing, I knew it would take forever before I was even adequate. When I started acting, my mother told me that actors get better when they get older. Now that I'm filmmaking, it has taken 10 years for me to make my first feature after countless short films and scripts that I've written. I'm enjoying the process and you've illuminated it so well. Thank you!
Lily1901 10 months ago 3
This guy totally made my day! =)
fictive 10 months ago 3
... Just inspired me.
NatasOmega 10 months ago 3
Interesting points. But maintaining that you have good taste - or nurturing the idea that there's thing such as »good taste« - seems to just as big a hold-up for creating great work than lacking confidence or patience in creating your first works.
SmoothJazzApprClinic 10 months ago
Ira happens to be talking about "The Dip." Look up Seth Godin - The Dip
madrid1979 10 months ago
Thank you for making this video. I'll be sending this segment to several friends of mine. They give up far too easily, coming to the conclusion that they're "just not good enough", and if you add the qualifier "not yet" for them, well, then they MUST be right! It's exasperating, especially when they have a lot of talent and you can see them getting far with it, if they'd just give themselves a chance.
Rozax 10 months ago
@doisneau It isn't just an American thing; I've heard it in plenty of Europeans, too.
But I'll encourage everyone to count the number of times they use the word "like". Even easier, count the number of times your friends use "like" in a sentence. Make it a game between each other.
"I was like, 'Where are we going?' and they were like, 'I don't know'."
"Like" expresses either pleasure or similarity. If this is "like" what you did, what did you actually do?
Rozax 10 months ago 2
Awesome. I feel motivated now!
cambriangirl1 10 months ago
@peeringthrough You are welcome. And I think Suction knows what I mean. I like Glass' message but I don't like his image. That's it. No need to fuck ourselves.
doisneau 10 months ago
@ suction: I believe your comment my reveal too much about you--that you are narrow-minded and given to over-generalizations. Yes, Ira's voice may be unique, but his show is insightful, interesting and entertaining. I encourage you to keep an open mind and check it out sometime. In the meantime, I'll try not to throw you in a condescending bucket of unfair generalizations.
bel7746 10 months ago 2
He might be a clever guy, but boy, does his voice sound like he's the worst condescending hipster douchebag currently on this planet. I can't get over that voice, because it reveals too much about him.
suction 10 months ago
It's good advice, but as a European I would like to know: why use the word 'like' so often? For sure this sounds natural, but quality-wise I find this bad ... it's filler language, it's lazy.
doisneau 10 months ago
@doisneau Thank you for your analysis of our speaking quality. Now, like, go fuck yourself.
peeringthrough 10 months ago
year 8... awesome
oxygenlung 10 months ago
I teach animation and show this video to students before each course. Great advice.
wgadea 1 year ago
In that clip he plays, Ira speaks with what I refer to as the "BBC enunciation".
rand21althor 1 year ago
This is excellent! Well said!
MikeJPEV 1 year ago
This dude is inspiring,
mungkey 1 year ago 2
Certain people on Youtube piss me off, hes over here trying to help you get over your problems and you are disliking the video? What kinda of person would do that.
SVTFilms 1 year ago
Another amazingly articulate point by Ira Glass.
ejskaer 1 year ago
Excellent advice! my videos are crappy right now, but i'm glad to hear that one day it will end :-D
dlevanchuk 1 year ago
wow this is awesome! thanks ira, that was really inspiring
brintstene 1 year ago
This is brilliant. What Ira Glass says here is worth as much or more than my 30K filmschool education! Thanks!
Kmanhare 1 year ago
"show, don't tell" still kills me!
jnyfknblz 1 year ago
i live in chicago and listen to wbez. when this american lies comes on, i turn it off.
better storytellers can be found on any streetcorner. the show blows chunks.
TheGliderman 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
crap, a big pile of warm, steaming crap.
TheGliderman 1 year ago
@TheGliderman I don't know that you'd feel that way if you listened to the show. Ira Glass is one of the great storytellers alive today.
joshandbrooke 1 year ago
This is really inspiring and embarrassingly honest.... though I wouldn't have noticed the emphasis on every 3rd word until it was pointed out. I stopped writing songs 20 years ago because of this phenomenon.... this gives me hope to try again. With focus.... it's really hard to get through that 'hate what I make' phase though.... not sure I will.... unfortunately I've become a better critic. I totally love this though.... Thank you!
KyuRoo 1 year ago
hah I love how he critiques his own stuff. that's hard to do but he's totally spot on
Canterqueen32 2 years ago
thank you, ira glass~ i feel empowered and will stop doubting myself.
jungshizzy 2 years ago
I love Ira. I wish he played his Alan Alda interview from his early days- that interview was a total fail.
flowergirl1313 2 years ago
Change a few words and this could be expanded to just about any creative medium.
nutherefurlong 2 years ago 147
Comment removed
Dapperdan2009 7 months ago
@nutherefurlong applies to many things, being a paramedic, nurse, or doc for sure.
awake1563 6 months ago