Tonight I returned for a third time to the color bootcamp value assignment 2 from New Masters Academy. For some reason this one turned out worse than the two previous.
Many times I cringe when I post my failures and I think most people can relate to the feeling. Here is the problem with that mindset, It’s all about looking good. If I put all my focus on looking good as an artist then I would have quit long ago after thousands of failed drawing and paintings.
Thanks to Brian Johnson and his Philosophers notes I learned about Carol Dweck’s book “Mindset”. I haven’t read the book yet but Brian outlines the basic idea of the fixed mindset versus the growth mindset. Basically the fixed mindset person feels that the knowledge they have is all they can achieve and then focuses on looking good. While the growth mindset person feels that knowledge can be acquired through hard work in anything. I really need to read the book so I can understand this concept better, but I see the basic ideas throughout my life in hidden ways.
For example, have you ever had anyone say to you, “you’re so talented” or “what great talent you have”. I’ve always hated the word talent and it’s taken me years to figure out why. Talent indicates a finite concept or a special knowledge a person is born with even an affinity to be good at something without trying. Or in Carol Dweck’s terminology a “fixed” mindset. Focusing on the meaningless and subjective concept of talent undermines a persons hard work. Basically the word talent equates to motivation, so now when a person says I’m talented I respond with, “yes, I’m very motivated to work hard”. Brian Johnson does a better job of explaining the idea.
Genius is made, not born.
So, here is my third attempt at this assignment. I know I’m not where I want to be in skill level yet, but I’m willing to put in the effort because I know that greatness is formed through hard work. Also, I’m not afraid to document the journey so that one day when my work is great then anyone can see that it was achieved through hard work. I hope this will inspire others to jump on the path littered with failed attempts.
Yeah, I wonder why some activities people equate with “talent” and others “hard-work”? I mean, you almost never hear someone tell a writer “you are such a talented writer”, as though they just sat down and wrote a masterpiece overnight. You never hear people tell doctors they are “talented”. But athletes? That must be talent. Artists? Talented. And even animal trainers are told on a daily basis they “just have a way with animals” as though they were born with this trait. Hard work, studying, and experience are never equated with their work…
I think it’s helpful not just for you, but for other artists that you showcase your struggles. I still don’t care for the word “failure” though. Challenge. Struggle. Obstacle. But you are never a failure, nor is any of your work.
I agree I should work to use better language when expressing how I feel about my performance. There was even a video by Brian Johnson where he reviewed “The Champions Mind” and in that book the author talks about better ways to evaluate your performance.