Why it’s good to be *cringe*

Do you ever look at old photos or work and *cringe* ? WHY did I think that was a good idea? I could do that so much better now!

Usually, from a place of greater distance and experience, you say to yourself “I would have done xyz” or “I would have said xyz,” WHAT WAS I THINKING!

Amongst my creative circles, where what is ‘good’ changes with time and has a natural ambiguity, this self-talk arises more often.

Whether you’re trying podcasting for the first time, starting a new job, or changing careers into UX design, it can be very easy to self-criticize at the stage where you’re the most clueless you’ll ever be.

Then, once you finally “get a clue” (you’ve worked at the company for years, you have a podcast etc) I wish I could tell you that this sense of self-cringe goes away.

The problem? Creatives tend to love their work. We trying new things, read new books, meet new people, learn new stuff.

While “getting a clue” at work is important, and learning is part of that, learning can also make you feel like you know (and knew) nothing at all.

So, you ask, will I ever stop picking apart my old work? How can I prevent my future self from cringe-ing at my present self?

The reality is, I think we need to come to a place of acceptance with cringe. In fact, I believe that if you are not cringe-ing at your old work, you are doing something wrong.

If you think all of your work is perfect, you are asleep at the wheel. You are not learning anything, meeting new people, putting yourself out there. If you aren’t willing to challenge yourself or be challenged, do you really love your work at all?

To clarify, I’m not saying you should always hate your old work. Instead, what I’m saying is that we need to accept that we always execute the best outfit, UX design, drawing, essay etc. that we can at the time (with the knowledge we have).

When we have the opportunity to look back at old work, we should look back at it with compassion. It worked at the time, and it’s a sign of our progress and evolution.

Piet Mondrian started as a traditional landscape painter before going into his signature style. Just because you evolve, this does not invalidate your old work. It’s okay if your old work doesn’t resonate anymore.

The important thing? You are making stuff — and if anyone outside you criticises that, they’re probably too scared to make stuff at all.