According to classical-music.com, but also many other ‘greatest symphonies of all time lists”, Brahms’ first symphony is a good one. One of the best, in fact. No matter which “greatest symphony’s of all time” list one looks at though, one thing appears true: that, most of the time, any composer’s first attempt at writing a Symphony isn’t considered one of their best, or best of all time. There are plenty of 4ths, 9ths, 5ths, 6th and so on (Mozart 41st is a cracking one, apparently).
If this is true for symphonies, it’s also probably true for the drawings we make, the paintings we paint, and the stories we tell.
Sure, like Brahms, occassionally we’ll knock out a banger for our first try (although, by the sounds of things, it took him 20 years to write). But the probability lies in everything we make after the first. So, we have no choice but to keep making.