The sports player has it easy. When they want to get better their path forward and progress is clear.
If they hit the target 4 times on Monday and 6 times on Tuesday they’re getting better.
The creative is not so lucky.
The field is subjective in nature.
Was Tom Hanks better in Forest Gump or Elvis?
It’s like comparing apples to airplanes, they don’t even live on the same plain.
So, I think how a creative sees the path to better is by answering the question – what do you think is good art?
As soon as you start to list characteristics the path starts to emerge.
For example if you think the best writing is concise writing then if your first draft is 100 words then it could be better if you could make it 75 words.
The makers of the Rambo films clearly thought on screen deaths were part of good action films because as the series went on the number of the deceased grew exponentially.
10 unusual names is weirder than 1 weird name.
Pick your factors and the path shall emerge.
Thomas Duggan 