The first version of almost anything is easy to criticize. The opening sentence feels awkward. The room looks worse halfway through organizing it. The first attempt at a recipe produces a sink full of evidence.
We often judge beginnings using standards meant for finished work. That is like criticizing wet paint for not being dry. A draft has a different job. It gives you something to respond to, improve, rearrange, or discard. Without it, perfection has nothing to work with.
If you are beginning something today, let the early version be early. Make the rough outline. Try the clumsy conversation. Put the idea where you can see it. Quality can enter during revision, but only after something exists to revise. The first attempt does not need to prove your ability. It only needs to give the second attempt somewhere to begin.
Today’s Prompt
What could you allow yourself to do badly enough to create a first draft?
