INCUBATION

A couple of nights ago, I was watching a very early Seinfeld episode. Everything was a little off, and none of the characters were quite themselves. George was extremely spirited (with too much hair); Kramer's kooky-to-charming ratio skewed way kooky (with too little hair). Elaine wasn't in the episode. And Jerry -- Jerry did his stand up routine at the beginning and in the middle of the episode -- for way longer than necessary. His apartment was barren.

Even if you're not a Seinfeld fan, you have likely seen the initial episodes of tv shows you like, and been surprised at how under-developed the characters were. Although recognizable and essentially themselves, they are still just a whisper of who they will become.

Work hard enough and long enough to let your creations evolve. It is too easy to dismiss your efforts and cast them aside before you've given them a chance to come into their own.


Seinfeld started out good. It was nurtured and supported and became great.

Keep working. Find that place your work is meant to be. There's no final destination -- but you're not yet where you need to be. There's so much to learn along the way.

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