The Done Manifesto

I only recently discovered this tiny bit of brilliance, even though it was written over a decade ago. It’s by Bre Pettis and Kio Stark, and released under Creative Commons, so I’m pretty sure I can post it here without being shady. (I don’t know where to link to originally, because Bre Pettis’ blog from 2009 is no longer live) First, the manifesto:

1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.
2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.
3. There is no editing stage.
4. Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it.
5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.
6. The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.
7. Once you’re done you can throw it away.
8. Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done.
9. People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.
10. Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.
11. Destruction is a variant of done.
12. If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.
13. Done is the engine of more.

The funny part for me is the controversy this seems to spark in people. If this resonates with you (as it does with me, to my very core), it makes perfect sense. It’s not even slightly suggesting a “good enough” attitude, or creating an environment for creating crappy products/results.

This manifesto is for perfectionists who are crippled by a need to make things perfect, or a fear of not being good enough. Or maybe both.

If you worry this list will make you produce mediocre work, this list is not for you.

If following this list seems like permission to do a job half way, this list is not for you.

If you think this list is stupid, and is fluffy nonsense, this list is not for you.

BUT. If this list resonates with your very soul, and reading it gives you the freedom to be as excellent as you truly are but never seem to show, this list IS for you.

Done is better than perfect. And imperfections are what make art beautiful. Don’t rob the world of your creations because they’re not perfect. The world doesn’t need perfect, it needs you. 🙂

PS: I want to buy this poster in the WORST way!