Are We There Yet? Taming the Last 10 Percent

by Ivan Barnett, Serious Play

“Greatness is always measured by doing more.”  Image and Words by Ivan Barnett.

Every meaningful project has a strange, hard-to-name stretch near the end. The bones are there, the thing “works,” and yet you know in your gut you’re not done. That’s the last 10 percent.

In my life as an artist and as creative director and co-founder of a world-class gallery, that final stretch has often been the loneliest, longest part of the road. The opening is on the calendar, the invitations are out, the work is “good enough.” And still, something whispers: dig deeper.

“There are those great talents who know exactly what I’m saying.”  Image and Words by Ivan Barnett.

That’s when I’ve had to reach into my full creative tool bag—as artist, manager, and director. Sometimes it meant sleeping on a production for a few days, letting my unconscious turn the problem over until the missing piece surfaced. Other times, it meant stripping things away: one less piece on the wall, one less color in the series, one less paragraph on the statement. The last 10 percent isn’t always “more” in the obvious sense; it’s more honesty, more clarity, more risk.

The truth is, that extra effort is usually where the difference lies between a show that does “fine” and a show that takes your breath away and often, where the economic rewards follow. In a gallery or an artist’s studio, the principle is the same: most people stop when something is good. Very few stay with it until it’s unforgettable.

“Your audience knows and feels greatness.”  Image and Words -Ivan Barnett.

This is one reason more than 90% of creatives eventually throw in the towel. It’s not for the faint of heart. Pushing into that last 10 percent asks more of your patience, your craft, your courage. But when you do, the rewards, artistic and financial, can be many-fold.

I grew up watching my father, Isa, and his circle of artists live in that space. I’ve spent a lifetime there myself. I don’t say this to be harsh; I say it to be hopeful: the magic really does live in that last 10 percent.

“Are you willing to be “serious” enough and close the gap?”  Image and Words by Ivan Barnett

At Serious Play, we help artists and galleries learn how to embrace that final stretch without burning out—how to build systems, habits, and support so the last 10 percent becomes a place of craft and discovery, not panic. Because in a world where your competition is, frankly, the rest of the world, ordinary.  However good isn’t what will carry you.

You always have a choice. The 90 percent can get you “there.” The last 10 percent is what can take you and your career much further.

© 2025