Does Being Prolific Impair the Quality of Your Work?
Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash
Have you heard the words “Quantity leads to quality” before?
The premise often shared is that prolific output will inevitably lead to an improvement in quality.
But when you focus solely on your output and how much you can produce, it can impair quality.
There are two sides to the coin.
On one, you produce large quantities, and your writing improves. You can only write so much before it starts to get better.
But on the other side, if you focus on quantity, you might publish just for the sake of publishing.
It all depends on what you do with it.
Balancing Consistency and Quality in Creative Growth
All the best writers know this truth.
You have to publish to get your work anywhere. That means consistently publishing, even when you don’t want to. Even when you don’t think your work is good.
You’re the worst judge of your work because you’re always interested in your work being better.
Most writers I know wouldn’t know their best work until they saw how it performed — art is subjective. Something you think is good may give others pause. What you perceive as your worst can turn out to be your best.
You never know how content will perform. And the only way to know that is to publish.
It’s exciting to grow as a writer. You can tell your work is improving, and you’re getting a steady fanbase. Things are looking up.
As you grow, you become more intentional with your writing. You become more focused. As entrepreneurs would say, you find your niche.
So, you write in your niche and continue growing. The goal is you put out polished pieces that flow with ease. But that’s only if you learn and adapt.
There are plenty of writers who don’t succeed because they publish the same kind of content without ever examining what’s doing well and what isn’t.
I wrote 70% of the year, producing 250+ articles. During that time, my writing did improve. But a year later, I’m consumed by putting out quality content, and my quantity suffers.
Part of the problem is the Dunning-Kruger Effect. People with little skill overestimate their knowledge. While the more knowledge and skills you have, the more you doubt your abilities.
Despite writing for almost two years, I feel more like an imposter now than when I started.
Accepting Imperfections
There’s something you need to accept. Not all your work is going to be good. Some of it may downright suck. That’s how writing works.
No matter how advanced you are, you’ll always have bad days. You need to find peace in the crappy.
It’s a harsh reality that every creative soul must come to terms with — not all your work will shine like a masterpiece.
Some of it may downright disappoint you.
As Leonard Cohen once said,
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
The Never-Ending Journey of Growth
Accept your writing isn’t perfect and never will be.
You’re not an Olympic champion going for the gold. You’re a tree growing roots and rising from the ground up.
You’re going to grow. And the good news?
You’ll never stop growing.
Ready to level yourself up and become the best version of yourself? Download my free journaling guide now.
Maggie Kelly is a freelance writer who writes about mental health, self-help, and psychology. Contact at maggiepkelly@gmail.com
