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Merlin Mann. Photo by Douglas Dollars.

Merlin Mann, creator of 43folders.com, a site about “finding the time and attention to do your best creative work,” is a recent guest on the public radio show, The Sound of Young America. The talk covers the workflows of doing creative work, specifically how to stop trying for perfection and just do it.

Periodically catch yourself. And say, “Stop. I gotta go make something now. I’m not going to take any more input until I’ve made something with what I’ve got.” … There’s a part of you that probably wants to make something really awesome. And there’s another part of you that’s screaming that part down because you’re probably a little bit scared of looking like a jerk. … I think it’s worth trying it. It’s worth starting out with some very modest, very low goals in terms of output but very high expectations of how seriously you take it so that you can actually set aside a little time and kinda be the human being that you’d like to be and make the kind of stuff that makes you feel alive.

Hear the full podcast at The Sound of Young America or embedded below:

(via John August)