There’s something to be said for failing. It’s not the failure you feel, it’s the failure that people project when something disappoints. You’re back to ground zero, where there’s no expectations, and that’s where I like to be.

Smith reframes “failure” as largely social and narrative-driven: the sting often comes less from the work itself than from others’ disappointment and the story they attach to it. By returning to “ground zero,” he describes a paradoxical freedom—when expectations collapse, so does the pressure to perform a particular identity or to satisfy an audience’s projected hopes. In that cleared space, experimentation becomes possible again, and the artist can rebuild on intrinsic motivation rather than external validation. The quote also hints at Smith’s long-standing persona as an independent creator who thrives when underestimated, using setbacks to reset ambition and reclaim creative control.