Unfinished Masterpieces
I don’t believe any piece of art is actually ever “finished,” or in a state of completion where it can finally be exposed to the world.
Whenever we create something, the fact that we have the itch to continue to change parts of it can instill the fear that it is incomplete and unfit for releasing. But artwork is dynamic.
As a songwriter, the most potent example of this for me is songs. Songs are never actually finished. As long as I continue to play the songs I’ve written, I realize that there is always a melodic line that can be sung differently, a certain section that calls for innate improvisation, a misshapen lyric that jumps out at me and begs to be tweaked … and that’s alright. Growth is a natural occurrence in the creation process. The longer we create art and the more we engage with the art we have created, the better our art becomes. So it is not strange for things to feel unfinished, or for us to revisit what we’ve made, or for music to be in a constant state of movement.
I don’t believe songs are ever “finished,” but I do believe they can be ready. And after enough preparation, there is a stage where, although they may never be finite, holistic, or complete, they are ready to be shared with an external audience, ready to be laid bare on the world’s table for all to consume.
Just because something feels unfinished does not mean it can’t be a masterpiece.
