Show All Your Work
April 9, 2026
SHOW ALL YOUR WORK
We all fear or have the concern that we’re not good enough. We overthink our work. We overthink what we create. We don’t want to be judged too harshly. So we only share the good, the highlights, the apex of it all. “Every artist is only showing you his best,” Jerry Seinfeld said. “When you watch a movie, every scene - they only show you the one take that worked. Seventeen times they missed it. You’re only seeing the peak of it.”
Ultimately there’s value in showing all your work. We also see this on social media or what we consume. We see the good, we see the perfectly made video or the exceptionally organized office, we see the book once its done or the body of someone that spent three years to get to this point. But we don’t see behind the scenes. We see the glory, not the shame.
The thought of having enough courage and self-belief to share my work, my writing - daily - never stood in my way. However, I do know it stands in the way of others. It matters a great deal to me to put in the effort. To experiment with different styles. To show my work - all of it. My words may not be their best. I certainly misspell. Regardless if its my best or not, I hit publish. Afterall, the only way to get better is by doing. By getting the reps in. Growth is painful. Doing something hard should feel and be hard - all the time.
Allow this to be the encouragement you need to start doing what you’ve been avoiding. Showing up every day is how one gets there. One of my favorite writers says often “my goal in writing is to make one positive contribution each day.” That’s a great perspective to take something difficult and strip it down to its core and to give it enough meaning that it drives the work forward.
Don’t fear showing all of your work. The bad and the good come from the same source - you. Everyone who makes something has a good and not good pile. Even those of us who don’t create, we have good and bad days on the job. Those bad ones teach us, they form our character and make us less fearful. The good days are a byproduct of just showing up, daily.
If you’ve enjoyed the wisdom shared on this blog and have taken anything from it, I’ve created a new blog, for those raising children, “Keys of a Father.” Where I capture my experience as a Father of two. In addition, using books and other material to make parenting and raising our kids better. This blog is for: expecting or current parents. Step, Co., Grand, and foster parents. For adoptive parents, teachers and coaches. For those one day wanting to be parents or for those that want to parent themselves. Check it out below.
