Have you ever started a project you believed had incredible potential? An idea born from pure inspiration and passion. A message you so desperately wanted to materialize, and yet, you had no way to effectively bring it to light?
A disconnect from the art we have envisioned and our means of realistically producing it can be a disheartening side effect felt by anyone undertaking the creative process. I’m not referring to writer’s block, or the inability to think of ideas to begin with; that’s frustrating, absolutely it is. I’m talking about the moments that, as an artist, you are at your pinnacle. You have a clear vision of what you want to create, but can’t find the means to express it.
There’s a very, very old way of thinking that helps illustrate this. One of ancient philosopher Plato’s most-famous works is his Theory of Forms. It’s a theory you’re probably familiar with if you’ve taken any sort of introductory Philosophy course.
Plato believed the forms to be the abstract, pure concepts that all material things are derived from. Physical objects are simply implementations of a greater and perfect essence that exists outside of the material world.
The form is the metaphysical idea, and the object is the imperfect interpretation.
Following Plato’s thinking, you’ll notice an accurate portrayal of what many have come to know as “the gap”, a term attributed to Ira Glass describing the distance between your creative vision and the skills you have to act on it. I think Plato does an equally astute job at describing this phenomenon. The difference is, Plato was trying to outline the laws of the universe, we’re trying to write that perfect sentence.
Now, for the big question: if, according to Plato, all we can do is create imperfection based on ideals, why bother? Why create?
I read, watch, and listen to artists that have brought their work to fruition in stunning ways. The biggest difference between them and myself is that they’ve bridged this so-called gap. They have narrowed the contrast of their perfect idea and the ability to sculpt it into the real world. I can only answer from my own perspective, but to me, the answer seems clear: create because you want to close that gap.
The old adage “practice makes perfect” is cliche, but there’s an undeniable truth to it. We’re imperfect beings, but that doesn’t make the pursuit of creating something greater than ourselves any less appealing. So close the gap through tangible effort, watch your art improve, and pursue that perfect sentence.