Let’s maximize while we can

Here’s my theory.

The people who say artists need editors are actually revealing more about their own personal preferences, priorities and worldview than the creator’s artistry.

I wonder if the more important question people should be asking themselves:

Why is abundance so uncomfortable to me? Why am I so insecure in the face of prolificacy?

Probably because it makes those people feel creatively inadequate. Or they believe success requires painstaking control. Maybe people demand editing because any form of excess challenges their perfectionist tendencies. They critique abundance to preemptively defend their own scarcity.

But this is a massive misunderstanding of how the creative process works. Creativity is infinite. It’s a river within us, not a commodity to be rationed. Did you ever notice that the only people who criticize artists for making too much too fast are control freaks who haven’t made jack squat themselves?

Taylor Swift is the biggest star in the history of music because she never asks, should I? She only wonders, why wouldn’t I?

For her, less isn’t more, more is more. She’s a maximalist. Redundant overkill is the price of admission. Overindulgence isn’t a feature, it’s a bug.

Artists who put out multiple projects a year are clearly having the time of their lives creating abundantly. Do you really think they care if fans are going to feel overwhelmed trying to sift through it?

Not their problem. They’re top busy doing what they were born to do.

My reaction to excess production is the opposite. Anytime a songwriter, filmmaker, or author I love puts out a high volume of new material, my instinctive response is, awesome. Good for them. I’m so grateful that these artists who bring joy, comfort and meaning to my life have new things to share.

Sure, there might be an imbalance of chills to cringes ratio. Maybe I’ll consume it, maybe I won’t. But either way, I’m just happy it’s out there. I hope these people release new work until the day they die. Hell, even after they die.

I mean, who doesn’t love a good post mortem album of b sides and rarities? Life is short. Let’s maximize while we can.

Next time you catch yourself bemoaning people’s creative abundance, consider what that says about you. Maybe overindulging would do your heart some good.

How short does someone’s work have to be for you to feel comfortable?