Don’t skip the part where you suck.

I recently had a 16-year-old ask me if there were any institutions offering internships or apprenticeships in filming and editing.

They wanted a place they could learn as much as they could before going out into the industry and doing it, making films.

My response was this.

Just go out and make films.

I told him, every weekend, write, direct, plan, produce, shoot, capture sound, edit, colour grade a short film. Get friends and family to act in it. Or yourself.

Every weekend do that, and pick one thing to improve each time.

You do that for even a year, and you will be light-years aheads of guys coming out of 4- and 5- year film making degrees.

We’ve been programmed with this bullshit education system that you have to sit down and learn a bunch of things in theory then, after 18 years, go out into the world and apply it.

“Learn then do” is the indoctrination.

But in reality,

It’s do, THEN learn.

Obviously there are exceptions. You’re not going to learn brain surgery by cutting open a skull and figuring it out.

But you know, starting a business, learning an new art form, making films, riding a bike. You could take a 4-year degree in riding bikes and then actually hop on one and fall flat on your face immediately.

Same with creativity. Same with business and entrepreneurship.

You do THEN learn.

My business, I learned everything by doing it

Playing bass, I learned by doing it.

Being a father I learned by doing it.

Jiu-jitsu I learned by doing it.

They say the hardest part of anything is starting.

And maybe,

But I think more accurately, the hardest part is the sucking part.

You’re going to be shit. For a while. You’re going to suck at it.

And honestly, that’s the best part, the most valuable. That part is where you forge the skills of what your attempting. The craft.

But not only that, your forging the intangible stuff,

The work ethic

The grit

The resilience

The fortitude

You’re hardening your character into a warrior that can withstand anything just by never giving up.

Look,

I’m going to confess something to you.

One of my greatest gifts, that I’m most thankful for, is I’m naturally good at a lot of things.

I pick stuff up really quick and I can get proficient without much effort.

It’s also my biggest curse.

Why?

Because early on, I didn’t really develop those things I mentioned. Everything was kind of easy mode for me, or if it wasn’t, I didn’t even really try it. I hadn’t developed those skills.

That’s why I got such a buzz from starting my own agency, because I fucking sucked at it. And for the first time I was sticking with it, getting my arse handed to me, and realising that I was still standing, and developing traits that made me stronger technically, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

So don’t try to skip that part!

You’re not going to buy your way through it. Thats what the education system sells you. Throw money at this and you’ll skip sucking.

Bullshit. Not only will you still suck, you’ll also have wasted all those years where you could’ve been creating and honing your skills.

I have hired hundreds and hundreds of creatives, and I tell you now, there is a massive difference between creatives I meet that have been locked up in institutionalised learning facilities, and those I can tell have spent time doing the work, creating, solving problems, and above all, sucking at what they do for as much as possible.

Don't skip the part where you suck. It is absolutely the hardest part of anything, but also infinitely the most valuable.

And no matter how much you suck at first, Keep creating.