There is never any excuse for not doing your best work. Not one single stinking reason. You can bring up all the excuses you want, but at the end of the day, it is unacceptable to not bring your A game.
I overheard two people having an argument today, and it drove me home to write. One artist was calling another one out, which firstly, is totally awesome. I love this kind of stuff, because this is what people need. When someone does something that’s bullshit, we should be callin them out. Secondly, he was right on the money, which just made it all the sweeter. The specifics of what was said are not important, and that is not why we are here today. What is important, is the response.
At first, like most would do, the victim was defensive. He defended his work, but it was shaking footing, and as time passed (and as his verbal opponent remained adamant) the victim began to slip. Finally, he said the phrase that set my internal alarm on fire. He said, in short, that while what he created might not be his best work, some good ideas might come from it. Then, quite insightfully, his verbal opponent pointed out, “what if this is the idea they choose? Are you going to be happy about that?” Man, my respectomoter was in FULL OVERDRIVE at this point. If I wasn’t already a cold hearted bastard, I think i would have shed a tear.
This is a clear sign of one who understands an important fact of doing work that matters. Always, always, do your best work. It is always better to have one great idea instead of 2 mediocre ideas, or even 3 mediocre ideas. You can tell yourself any excuse you like, but when you put your work out there for others to see it represents you. You are saying, “this is valid”. You are saying, “I would play this, right here.” Is it better to have 2 good idea instead of 1 good idea? Obviously. Is it better to have 3 good ideas instead of 2 ideas? Unquestionably. Does this mean I create as much content as possible, regardless of quality? Never. Absolutely not.
I particularly hate arguments like, “well some idea might come from it”. As if that is some sort of shield that defends your work from being criticized. Look: ideas can come from anywhere, this is true. But you know what? I don’t start my search for awesome in a pile of crap. I start my search in a pile of win. Ideas can come from anyone, anything and anywhere, but they most often come from stuff that is awesome. Stuff that inspires. Stuff that makes me want to pump my fist in the air and say, “fuck yeah”. When I am pulling my “ideas from everywhere” I am, most times, pulling from AWESOME stuff. Awesome architectural design. Awesome horror films. Awesome video games.
I think a lot of people look at the great advice of people like John Lasseter who state that one great idea is never enough, and they misinterpret the meaning and intent of the advice. Yes, one great idea is NOT enough, but one great idea and two crap ideas is still just one great idea. Bottom line: when you put down that pencil, save that file, close that program, and send that e-mail, you are saying that what you have created is a shining example of your best work. If you do not look at what you have created and say, “yes, I want to play this.” Then, why are you even sharing it? Maybe I am alone, but I feel that you should never approach the work you do like it is some kind of contest. There is no prize for coming up with the most ideas. There is no award for being the most prolific thinker. There is only the end result. Make it count.
Calling people out is something I’m really struggling with, but trying to learn. I recently graduated and the academic environment does not prepare you to criticize your peers. The lead/subordinate relationship doesn’t even exist! My boss says I’m too nice and my uncle advised that you simply cannot be friends with people whose work you review. The only thing that has given me some success is remembering that the quality of the project trumps an uncomfortable situation – but it takes longer than it should for me to get to that point.
Great post. Hilarious and insightful.
I like your attitude, but watch out so that you do not kill lateral thinking. Something may not sound or look awesome at first sight, but might quickly flourish to greatness, specially in our very complex and multidisciplinar medium. I’ve seen this happen over and over again.
You can’t judge an idea just by looking at it or thinking about it for a few seconds. Finding out whether something works well or not requires research, testing, rumination, discussion, and argumentation. Ideas are not good or bad. They are _uncertain_. This applies as much to ideas about new scientific theories, business ventures, and game design concepts.
I think this kind of thinking is dangerous in a creative process because it stifles creativity and free thought flow. “Calling people out” may work and feel good when you can get away with it, but it creates a climate where proposing off-the-cuff, radical, or highly uncertain ideas is a fearful and risky act. Most people will stop bothering to do so, and simply buckle down to do the work that takes less risk and holds less uncertainty. Unfortunately this precludes innovation.
The fact is that bad ideas do actually lead to good ideas. “Good work” in design doesn’t mean having good ideas. It means developing them as efficienctly, effectively, and innovatively as possible. Saying otherwise is like saying that a good sculptor never has any rough, crappy-looking rocks in his workshop (even though it is impossible to start without one).
I’m glad to hear others thoughts on this issue.
Ok, haha, this is a little weird, but first I just gotta say it’s so funny to see your name here. A few years ago my good buddy (Mike Deneen, designer extraordinaire) came across your blog and we enjoyed reading it. When I saw that someone had posted a reply to one of my articles, I looked at the name and thought, “Damn, why does that sound so familiar?!” Sorry, it’s just a little surreal to realize how truly small this industry is sometimes, even on the internet. Now, with that sidetrack out of the way…
This post was hyperbolic, no doubt about that. I understand what you are trying to say here, and I agree, in part, with your intent, but I definitely disagree with a couple points. Sure, sometimes you can only tell if something is good by grinding it in the gears, but – BUT – to say that ideas cannot be BAD is just, frankly, a little worrisome.
First – You can’t judge an idea just by looking at it or thinking about it for a few seconds.
Over the years, as my skills grow and my knowledge increases, there are things that I can say, with little thought, are 100% unworkable and unusable, and I am a little worried if you cannot say the same. Can I do this with everything? God no! I’m not a game design savant, but if I can’t look at things that pertain to combat and judge their worth quickly and efficiently, then what does that say about me? An example: Let’s say we are proposing a new Special Square (L1 + [ ]) move for Kratos:
The player should instantly dash forward super fast (bad), like a ninja you’d just see a blur (bad), and then when he gets up close he starts punching super fast like Fei Long’s ultra (bad). (0/3)
Let’s break it down:
The player should instantly dash forward super fast: The purpose of the special square move is area not traversal, and it is to be used against pests and grunts. It is to hit as many opponents as he can, doing good damage, and to leave Kratos committed for several frames. To put a dash on this move is completely antithetical to the button you are using (light slash).
Dashing like a ninja: Kratos is not a ninja, and he should not be doing Ninja like actions. He is a brute. He does things that are strong and meaty – maybe even ugly and unskillful. To have him doing a move like this is completely antithetical to his very nature as a character.
When he gets up close he starts punching super fast like Fei Long’s ultra: Again, this isn’t what Kratos is about (he’s not about quick attacks), but there are even more problems with this. Most reaction animations you create for the enemies are too long (too many frames) to handle a move like this. In order to sell an awesome attack, you have to create awesome reactions. That’s how it works. If Kratos is punching super fast, then I need reactions that sell this; additionally, this means that this would probably have to be a move that I synch up with the enemy (even more expensive to create, and now it won’t work on big enemies).
We are now talking about a proposed move that is wrong for the button, wrong for the style of character, and wrong for the amount of work it would require, and it took me all of 2 seconds to figure that out. I am, most definitely, not _uncertain_ about this one.
Now, if you and I were in a conference room and you proposed that move to me, is it in the game’s best interest for me to say, “Hmm, that’s interesting, let’s all think about that for a second?” or should I go, “lemme stop you right there. Here are all the things wrong with that.” In the former I’m just wasting everyone’s time. In the latter I am respecting you enough to assume you can handle being told what is wrong with your bad idea, so that you can grow as a designer. I know what I know today, because I worked with people that respected me enough to tell me when my ideas were BAD, and to tell me WHY they were bad.
Second — “Calling people out” may work and feel good when you can get away with it, but it creates a climate where proposing off-the-cuff, radical, or highly uncertain ideas is a fearful and risky act
I think, and this is probably my fault, I was a little unclear (it doesn’t help that I was being hyperbolic… Haha). My goal is not to stifle random ideas. I do, however, feel that there is a distinction between “off the cuff” ideas, and “proposals”. What I am talking about here is proposals. When you put forth a “proposal”, such as you spend hours drawing a new concept for a character, then I have to assume that you are putting forth your best work. If you half-ass it, then why shouldn’t I call you on it? Let’s have another example. Let’s say that you gave a designer a week to come up with some new fatalities for Scorpion. If after a week you go, “Hey man, what have you got for me,” and you get a one sentence document that says: “He kicks him really hard and his body explodes…”
C’mon! You know you’re going to flip out. Haha. If we were in a conference room, sure, I’d have a totally different response to that situation. I’d probably try and coax more out, or see where it could lead, but if someone’s “proposal” (especially after a week of work) is something like that… dude… if you didn’t think it necessary to call someone on that, then I’d be a little worried.
Third — The fact is that bad ideas do actually lead to good ideas.
Hey – in total agreement here. I definitely was not trying to say that good cannot come from bad. But, and this is definitely what I was trying to say in the end, I PREFER to start the search in a pile of good. It’s just like what Mr. Lasseter said, “Come again when you have three ideas, and I don’t mean one good and two bad. I want three really good ideas, of which you cannot decide the best.”
To use your sculptor analogy, you’re right, a good sculptor DOES have rough, crappy-looking rocks in his workshop, but when he brings his other sculptor friends over to judge his latest work, do you really think he is asking for feedback on those rocks, or on his latest and greatest piece.