The Risk of Making Something New

"The most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions."

— Ira Glass

Ira Glass (b. 1959) is an American radio personality, producer, and the creator and host of the public radio program This American Life. Since 1995, Glass has shaped the program into one of the most influential platforms in narrative journalism, pioneering a conversational, intimate storytelling style that transformed radio documentary. His approach—blending rigorous reporting with personal narrative and vulnerability—has influenced a generation of podcasters and journalists. Glass's candid reflections on creative process, particularly his insights on the gap between ambition and execution, have become foundational texts for artists navigating the difficult early stages of creative work.

CREATIVITY AND PURPOSE

DISCIPLINE

CRAFT

Context

This statement comes from Glass's widely circulated advice on creative work, originally delivered in a series of interviews about storytelling and craft. Glass was addressing what he calls "the gap"—the painful period when a creator's taste exceeds their ability, when they can recognize excellence but cannot yet produce it. His prescription is deliberately unsexy: not inspiration, not genius, but volume. The insight here is structural, not motivational. Glass understands that closing the gap between ambition and execution is not a matter of waiting for readiness—it's a problem solved through repetition, deadline pressure, and the accumulation of failed attempts. The work teaches you what theory cannot.

Today's Mantra

I close the gap through volume, not vision.

Reflection Question

What creative work are you avoiding because you're waiting to be good enough—and what would change if you committed to producing it badly, on deadline, every week for the next six months?

Application Tip

Establish a non-negotiable weekly creative deadline. Choose a format—500 words, one sketch, three minutes of audio, a single photograph—and commit to completing one finished piece every seven days for the next twelve weeks. The key is finishing, not perfecting. Set a hard cutoff: Sunday at 8 PM, the piece is done, regardless of quality. Post it, share it, or file it away—but complete the cycle. Track only consistency, not excellence. This practice trains you to work through doubt, to finish under constraint, and to accumulate the volume that actually closes the gap Glass describes.