Biting off more than we can chew. Why do we do it?
We’ve all been there, whatever the situation may be we’ve jumped up in front of someone or a group of people and offered to do something awesome, something which blows them away that only you are capable of. I mention this because I just a good portion of the last two days of my life working on a project for a group of friends, neglecting work, entertainment and social life in the process in order to get it done.
The project in question was a large illustration to coincide with something special and creative a friend of mine was doing. Now I am by no means an artist or a graphic designer. I fool around on Adobe Illustrator from time to time for shits and giggles but I can’t really produce anything spectacular, so it baffles me why I’d offer to do something like that in the first place. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret doing it and I was moderately pleased with the end result and I think other people were too, but that’s not the point: Why did I fucking bother getting myself in a situation where someone expects something special out of me in the first place? Why do we as a species fall into these traps so often.
I suppose if the person I was offering a favour to was an attractive woman then it’d be a different matter entirely. If it wasn’t already completely obvious I’m a raging lesbian and I would raise Atlantis from the fucking depths if I thought it’d bring a brief smile to the face of someone I feel for. But in this particular instance there was nothing to gain from my unwarranted act of sudden and unexpected generosity, and no real reason for me to do it in the first place.
And we’re not talking about just being a little nice here, we’re talking me breaking my back for 18+ hours and running after a group of people trying to find what they’d like out of it. Specifically I’m talking about offering to do more than we’re really capable of within reason. Is it to show off? To prove to ourselves and others that we are capable of things they never expected of us? Do we have some kind of drive to improve some marginal skill even when there is absolutely zero purpose to it?
Frankly this whole affair was rather excruciating and at the end I wound up feeling more relieved that it was finally done, perfectionism aside, than joy at what I had created. I know full well that I’m not the only one guilty of this, but I think it’s going to be a long time before I offer a helping hand to someone again.
I don’t understand people, myself included.
Do any of you, my few fine readers, have any stories to share?
Myself, I don't think this is just about trying to improve a skill. Everyone is different though, so i can only speak for myself on that, which is that i ultimately want to see no more unfullfilled dreams. Or rather it's more like when i see someone with a burden/challenge, i just think to myself "Well, it would be awesome if someone just came up and did all that shit.." and then i just do it.
ReplyDeleteSo, for me it is the thrive to see someone fullfilled/happy ;P
But don't have any interesting stories to share where i chewed on too much, i know what my limits are, and i don't want to take something upon myself that is beyond my abilitys and make an awful job just so i can earn some respect for trying or something. If someone can do it better then me, i don't want to stand in the way. That may sound like a lazy excuse, but that's how i roll.
Sorry to hear that everything is hurting because of that art project, but atleast you can relax now (?) a little bit^^
i also find it very cool that you continued to finish the project, despite suffering, just to help someone out! I think these acts of generousity are important to all of us and one beauty of life, if i go poetic :D
thanks for posting and for reading my response! Wish you well ;D
on a sidenote: Would you show me/us what the illustration looked like in the end? ;D
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid it's a little too personal too share with the internets.
ReplyDeleteA shame that you haven't any stories to tell; still, at least you know what works for you.