Face Your Fears
The impact “Show Your Work” had on my perspective on online sharing and why it prompted me to create my own youtube channels.
This book was a game-changer for me because I’ve been thinking about starting a YouTube channel for quite some time, maybe when I first launched my marketing and video production company.
My biggest fear was that people are going to judge me. People are going to think I’m stupid, narcissistic etc for having the audacity to have a personal channel. Everything I was thinking was negative, and it slowed down my capability to create videos and be in front of the camera.
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon completely changed the game for me. It led me to the fact that it doesn’t matter if you’re not an expert in anything; if you’ve done anything meaning-full, you can write about it, and someone, somewhere will benefit from reading it.
If you’re ready to take baby steps toward your goals and overcome your fears, this book is for you.
Be an amateur
We worry that our inexperience will be exposed, yet in today’s world, it’s the amateur that pursues their work for the love of it rather than the prospect of success. Since they have little to lose, amateurs will try anything and then tell you about it. They are adventurous and open to change. What this means is that amateurs don’t mind looking stupid in front of their peers.
So, be an amateur and don’t be afraid to make mistakes or look ridiculous in public. The best way to get started on the path to sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others.
I wanted to create my next venture in virtual reality space, hence learning, researching, creating videos around VR, AR, Metaverse will be my life for next few years. So, I made a commitment to myself to learn it in front of others via my youtube channel, Xrvio.
You don’t have to be genius
The “lone genius” myth is among the most pernicious harmful beliefs about creativity.
Songwriter and musician Brian Eno proposes a term he calls “scenius” (scene+genius) to describe a more positive approach to the creative process.
According to this theory, a “ecology of talent” consisting of artists, curators, intellectuals, theorists, and other tastemakers is often responsible for the conception of groundbreaking ideas. The internet is basically a bunch of sceniuses connected together.
Scenius doesn’t take away from the achievement of those great individuals, it just acknowledges that good work isn’t created in a vacuum and that creativity is always in some sense , a collaboration , the result of a mind connected to other minds.
The reason why those of us who don’t consider ourselves geniuses may participate in the creative process is because of Scenius. In order to be an integral member of a Scenius, it is not so much how intelligent or brilliant you are as what you bring to the table in terms of ideas, connections, and conversation.
Don’t think about being a genius instead of contributing as a member of Scenius.
Document of what you do
Following the advice in this book can help you to become a better recorder of your experiences. Whether you want to use a pen and paper or a voice recorder, jot down or record your ideas.
Create your own digital scrapbook as i am doing it for my channel. Get some footage of you in action.I can honestly say that I am saving time and getting more done in my company’s creative process because to this method of sharing.
Send out a daily dispatch
The fundamental nature of having a job means that there will be obstacles to overcome and new experiences to gain. In order to grow and evolve into better people, we need to commit to working hard every day. There is no shortcut around daily manifestation and hard work, which you must then broadcast to the world.
It makes no difference what form your communication takes. A blog post, email, tweet, YouTube video, etc., are all viable options for your daily dispatch.
Don’t stress that every update you make will be flawless. Theodore Sturgeon, a famous science fiction writer, once remarked that 90% of everything is garbage.
Open up your cabinet of curiosities
Just where do you find the motivation to create such wonderful works of art? how do you spend your time and what do you think about? What do you typically read? Do you belong to any publications? When you’re online, where do you typically go?
Your inspirations are valuable indicators of who you are and what you do (often more so than your actual work).
So share it.
Tell good stories
If you want to get the word out about yourself and your work, you should concentrate on your storytelling skills. An understanding of what makes a story engaging and how to create one is crucial. Everything that you’ve made isn’t floating around in space by itself. Whether or not you realise it, you are currently narrating a narrative about your work.
Although everyone appreciates a well-told tale, not everyone possesses the requisite storytelling skills. It’s a skill that requires constant practise throughout your life. The words used should not be taken lightly.
Many creative types like to say the cliched “my work speaks for itself,” but the truth is that it rarely does. Humans, by nature, want to know more about where things come from and who made them. How and what other people feel about your job is profoundly influenced by the stories you tell about it.
Last words
If you’re an artist of any kind — a painter, a writer, or anything similar — and you’ve ever thought about doing this, if you have something to say or believe you might have something to say, if you like the idea of writing something and sharing it with the world (even if you don’t), if you make any kind of contact at all, you’ll just have to wait.
Therefore, I’d like to express my gratitude to Austin Kleon for helping me become more at ease with the idea of putting myself out there.
