Nah, I know that's not true.
Although I just can't help but think that a lot.
I guess it is true that you can only be your own harshest critic.
That's how I feel about my writing.
I've recently been reading a lot of tweets. Reading other things. Watching other things. Listening to other things.
Sometimes I pay attention to my own thoughts, then I think to myself, "Oh, how unoriginal."
But like, so what?
Cellular automata does not aim to be "original", it merely decides to do what works, repeat that ad infinitum, and let the process play itself out. The greater plan happens, they don't do the planning.
So, I guess, the answer really is... Maybe, just maybe, to trust the process?
To do the thing that excites you, makes you feel good, gets good outcomes, and roll with it.
Life is jazz, and we're here to make music that sounds good, to the whole band.
Well, if it doesn't, we'll figure it out.