Matthew Weiner, the creator and writer of Mad Men has written a great book (and this article) on PERSEVERING until you get there.
It’s pretty much one of the most reassuring pieces of advice I have read in ages…
“If you don’t get to see the notes, the rewrites, and the steps, it’s easy to look at a finished product and be under the illusion that it just came pouring out of someone’s head like that.
People who are young, or still struggling, can get easily discouraged, because they can’t do it like they thought it was done. An artwork is a finished product, and it should be, but I always swore to myself that I would not hide my brushstrokes.
While being battered always hurts, an important survival mechanism I’ve acquired over the years is to both thrive on rejection and hold on to compliments. Rejection enrages me, but that “I’ll show you!” feeling is an extremely powerful motivator.
One job leads to another, but you have to start somewhere.”
ALSO HBO PASSED ON MAD MEN BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T WANT TO DO A PERIOD PIECE.
