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It’s a quality of artisans to make the things they make polished and complete. There’s an inherent satisfaction in doing that if it’s your thing. In other words, applying that polish is an end, not a means.

I think if you like polishing things than do so. As far as I could understand, the point is not doing it with the expectation of any recognition.

I would suggest you don't understand the equivalence because it's not there. They aren't saying that creating something with polish is expecting to make money off it. They're saying when you start a new hobby or interest forget about trying to tailor your output to an audience that doesn't exist and focus on skill. Maybe you really want to produce something polished, but the reasoning for that should be for your own development and edification not because you want it to appeal to others. Prioritise what makes you happy and gives you enjoyment not what you think other people want.

I mean, consider there are a swathe of things I've made for self-development, that aren't released to others since they're incomplete, less usable for others not sharing the same brain, not great quality, etc.

It would weigh on me from an empathetic standpoint to not improve upon them if being released to others, so they're not and that's fine. Much like an artist's practice sketches they're intended for one's own private goals only.

The article isn't really framed like that though and downplays the internet as an inherent audience. Improving something even for just a random other person to enjoy/find utility in isn't inherently attention or money chasing, it's just bridging a gap.

Tucked away deep in the filesystem I have some programs that I rarely execute, that do a few things well and many others not so well, that I keep polishing. This code is secret, kept for the joy of just rubbing it every now and then and looking at it, having a little feel for how coding could be if it was disconnected from the toil and economics of everyday life. Disconnected from other people.

The danger with wanting to polish things before putting them out into the world, is often you never share anything because it's never "done". And you may be polishing something in the wrong direction, which you would know if you put the unpolished version out into the world to get feedback.

i don't think that's an argument the article is putting forth though. its whole point is that nobody is going to see / care about your stuff regardless of polish, so you wouldn't be getting any feedback either way.

For some it so hard to recognize that perfection is often an unattainable ideal

Photography / blogging don't need to be exposed to the internet. We can take photos offline (either with an analog/Polaroid type camera or with a digital one), and we can write offline (Journaling, or just using apple notes).

That being said, I agree with you. There's nothing wrong with making something pretty for oneself. Many men and women do this with haircuts, makeup, etc. I still get my hair cut even though I don't do video at work. Just because something is surface-level doesn't automatically make it superficial or vain, or done for profit, though there is certainly some overlap.

Very true, to take his advice further would be no audience at all. A blog post is a journal entry, a photograph goes into a binder/ folder. What is the benefit of the audience if it’s for personal growth?