The best artists betray their own work

The best artists betray their own work. They betray their own work. Teach Charlie XCX and her successful Brat album. She could have decided to come back this year and create a brand number two. But she didn't. She deliberately decided to betray it. She came up with a new format, a new style, and it felt really refreshing and new. It's like with a really popular movie, they always try and make a sequel of it. But the sequel never hits the same as the original because it's creative stagnation. You're trying to revisit that, something that was already great and can't be recreated. Rick Ruben says every piece of work you finish is just a snapshot of who you were when you made it. So if you're doing something right, you should always be evolving, outgrowing versions of yourself. And you should be able to honor your old work without being loyal to it. Of course, you can feel proud of your old work, or maybe you don't feel that proud and you want to get better. But either way, you should always be evolving and growing as a person and your creativity should do the same. Keep creating what feels right to you right now. But when you outgrow it, don't be afraid to betray it and try something new. Repetition + consistency = build trust. It's true that repetition and consistency build trust, but the throughline isn't the format, it's the feeling. The throughline is the feeling. Having a recognizable essence is something you need to keep the same, but being able to play and experiment is important for your creative process. And you should be able to honor your old work without being loyal to it. Of course, you can feel proud of your old work, or maybe you don't feel that proud and you want to get better. But either way, you should always be evolving and growing as a person and your creativity should do the same. Keep creating what feels right to you right now. But when you outgrow it, don't be afraid to betray it and try something new.