Some creative endeavors favor mastery. Others favor adaptability. It’s rare to be able to have both, so it’s a good idea to know which category you’re in. I call this the “cooking/baking axis.”
Cooking is an art. You play. You mix and match, taste and adjust. You modify as you go, you put a little pizzazz in it. You can throw an extra dash of something in and leave out something else and the whole thing can come together like magic if you’re good at it. Getting a sense of all that can take practice, but you’re always weaving.
Baking is a science. If you don’t put the right amount of everything in, at the right temperature, for the right time, heck at the right altitude, you don’t get cake – you get sludge or charcoal. You can’t just decide to throw an extra stick of butter in there without consequences. You can’t decide to make your pineapple upside-down cake al dente. Mastery is important. You practice until it’s perfect.
This is the difference between a gymnastics routine and improv comedy. In the former, you need perfect mastery to get it right (and not get hurt). In the latter, practicing too much can make you rigid, and rigidity actually makes you worse.
People tend to gravitate toward one or the other, and there’s nothing at all wrong with that. But then sometimes they choose endeavors that don’t always line up with their natural style, and that can be frustrating. It’s worth it to look inward. Next time you’re going to a potluck, observe what you’d rather make. You’ll enjoy your enjoyment more if your creativity matches your methods.
The Opportunity Machine 