There’s a really weird thing that happens within the creative process.

There’s what you make.

And then there’s everything you leave out.

Lately, I’ve come to realize the things that I leave out can actually be quite good.

But how?

After all, I leave them out because they’re bad, otherwise I would’ve left them in.

So how could leftovers be good?

One answer:

They’re honest

The scraps are thrown out with brute force. They're not gently placed into the trash bin. They're carelessly flung over our shoulders. Out of sight, out of mind.

But when it comes to the things that we keep — the so called "good stuff". We treat it gently, careful not to dabble too much at the risk of messing everything up. I guess, most times, that approach could render work that is quite good, but not great.

Because when we’re too afraid of making mistakes, we don’t take any risks, but taking risks and flirting with the edge of disaster is where great art resides.

So, leftovers.

The scraps.

The stuff you thought you didn’t want.

I’m starting to realize, despite the ingredients being far from perfect, I like the spirit.

The rawness.

The no fucks given.

I’ve been looking into my trash bin, taking things out and seeing what I could do with the bits and pieces. Hence, all the short 1-minute videos. I like what I’ve been coming up with. It doesn’t enable me to lie. It forces me to be honest. And I like being honest.

Maybe next time you finish your work, you can also take a look back into your trash bin and see what could be revived in a manner that is more true to the most authentic parts of yourself.

Dig deeper.

by Jason Lam