Attention to detail

Dad and I went to the barber today. The local one down the road. I always get Alex. He's from Colombia. Loves baseball, loves his little girl. She's 7-months old now. Time flies.

I was watching him while waiting. The start of each cut was rough. Through the bulk of it. Then hair by hair he brought it back. Shaped it. Made it look beautiful.

He'd stop. Lean back, look at both sides, fix one, then the other.

When it was my turn I watched him do the same. Cut through the bulk first, then refine, refine, refine.

I told him, this good looks good brother.

He spoke.

Thank you man.

He kept going. Kept going until there wasn't a hair out of place.

I thought there's a man whose got an eye for detail. That's what I'm after. There's a reason I keep coming back.

The process can be applied elswhere. Start rough, then refine, refine refine.

Write 1000 words and cut it back to 300.

Write 200 lines of code and cut it back to 100.

Write 20 poems and publish 1.

The best art comes from editing. Removing what doesn't need to be there. Paying attention to the details. But you have to have something to edit first.