November 15th, 2006
Anyone Can Make a Web Site When They’re Inspired
The classic line we expect to hear from high-maintenance actors is, “What’s my motivation?” It’s a valid question. How is the actor supposed to provide consistent inflection and body language without an understanding of what their character is thinking? The actor can always just read the lines, but the result probably won’t be the “perfect moment” the actor is trying to capture.
As a freelance web designer, I have a lot of freedom in when I choose to perform the various aspects of my work. Most afternoons I can take a nap, run errands, or just sit in front of the TV. If I’m not motivated to work in a particular moment, there’s rarely a reason that I need to do so right that second. If I wait for a later time when I’m feeling more inspired, the work might flow out of me without much effort at all. Often that’s exactly how it happens.
If that goes on for a few days in a row, though, I can quickly find myself in a situation where I simply can’t delay doing the work any longer. Deadlines are approaching whether I feel motivated to do the work or not.
I was watching an episode of Inside the Actor’s Studio featuring Dustin Hoffman. He actually referred to something that Robert De Niro had said while appearing on the show. The subject was the plight of an actor when they just aren’t finding the groove for a particular line or scene. All the methods and techniques they have developed as an actor are failing them. They can’t get into character. What then? De Niro said sometimes you just have to do it.
I think that idea translates well to web development. At some point you have to realize the clock is ticking. If you want be viewed as a professional, you need to dig your heels in and get the work done. Will it be as effortless as it is during those times when you’ve found your motivation? Not even close, but that discipline will set you apart. That reliability is what will allow you to charge a rate you can actually live on. Getting the job done even when conditions aren’t ideal is what will make you a professional.
