“Quality over Quantity” were LIES! Here’s what you NEED to hear-
If you are a creator of any type of content or an artist of any sort, this article is for you.
I have heard this term way too many times to recollect when it was my first. But I was always perplexed by the various definitions presented to me. Does value really matter more than volume? This blog unravels my perception of the same. If you understand this concept right, you technically have the key to producing the best possible output in ANY field.
Let me narrate an incident from the University of Florida. In a film photography section, professor Jerry Uelsmann divided the students into groups- quality and quantity. The aim for group “quality” was to submit only one picture- That is totally perfect. The aim for group “quantity” was to produce the maximum number of photos. More the photos, the higher the grade. Surprise, surprise! By the end of the term, when all submissions were received, it was revealed most pictures from the “quality” team were mediocre at best! But guess what, the best photos came from the “quantity” group. How so? this is because, they kept taking photos without worrying about perfection, unlike the “quality” team.
Similarly content is a flow concept. Its productivity depends on the producer’s way of presentation, with reference to build-up and consistency. So, let’s talk about this!
Please note: Here I write about the real importance of consistency; Another interpretation of this term can be having “choosing things of high standard matters more than the amount or number of things that you possess” This blog doesn’t tackle this in particular, but I might write about it in the future :)
Oftentimes, we are so preoccupied with the thought of giving our best, rather than actually making efforts to do so. To quote Voltaire, “The best is the enemy of the good.” You must not desire perfection but rather, the insistence to do better than your previous work. That is possible when you increase the volume of your work. Put out your trials and errors, the goods, the not-so-goods, and learn from them. They’ll do the magic.
Let’s talk about popular YouTuber “Mr Beast.” (as of writing) On YouTube he has 113 million subscribers, and his videos always cross over 50 million views. Damn.
“But Sumitra, he uploads videos once a month or two, that are high quality and high budget. But you said that can only be achieved when there is consistency?”
Well well. He is in fact much more consistent than you think. It’s simple. Mr Beast has 5 other channels, that he uploads on, now and then. It might not be the same thing that he uploads on the main channel, with the same budget, but it works. His followers keep getting regular content and he always stays relevant.
Sometimes, claiming to provide “Quality over Quantity” can be used as a marketing mechanism. Here is where Korean Pop music girl group, “BLACKPINK” comes into the picture. Is it even close to acceptable that one of the biggest girl groups in the world that have been in the game for 6 years now, has only 36 songs? What they lack is a quantitative foundation. They release only one or two every year, and every time its a massive success. In this way they make the consumers believe they are getting more content than they actually are, by making them settle for the bare minimum.
From a business standpoint,
“success” = investing least resources + receiving most capital.
Despite my personal favour and bias for this group, it’s evident they are providing their fans with neither quantity nor quality.
Question: Who is YOUR favorite music artist? How often do they put out music? Do you think they strive for quality or quantity?
A better way to put down what I am trying to say is, striving for quantity ⇒receiving quality. Another reason why you must exercise your plan in a lot of quantities is that when you are done, you can choose the best among all your past works. Picasso, the eminent artist, is factually my theory personified. I’ll tell you how-
Pablo Picasso once said that “Action is the Foundational Key to All Success.” How can you achieve perfection when you are just sitting around speculating all the time and haven’t started? It does not work like that because on our way to doing things with perfection, we move backward. Do remember that walking slowly is better than working backward. To give your best work, you need to study yourself, as well as put it to practice. Picasso made over 50,000 paintings, but you might just know the popular ones. You may ask, then why create so many paintings, when your best is limited to a handful? The answer lies in the question. In quantity, Picasso found quality. They go hand in hand. He also never limited himself to the same technique and materials. He ranged from “blue period” to “cubism” to “surrealism”, and thus gave birth to some of the most influential pieces of artwork in history.
I hope this article convinced you, of how striving for perfection affects quality and how the golden rule of “consistency” acts as the catalyst. A lot of services in different fields manipulate you using this simple trick. As a consumer, remember that the finest quality can only be assured when the creation process is visual. As a producer: It is always best to maximise your mental and productive horizon to come up with the best possible item of utility. It comes with practice; it comes with patience.
