Learning in Public: The Art of Falling and Failing
As someone who has been doling out advice on learning in public and finding joy in the process of failing toward success. I myself haven’t reached my destination. My guidance is typically influenced by the wisdom of those who have achieved success, such as Gary Vee. He often compares the practical aspects of a business to dirt and the ultimate vision to the clouds. This analogy is similar to Damon John’s offense and defense.
However, I prefer to consider a farmer’s daily operations instead of dirt. The work may not be glamorous, but farmers understand the need to wake up each day and tend to their land. When things don’t go as planned and failure occurs, farmers use shit to enrich their crops. While we may try to control as much as possible, some things are beyond our reach. Much like in the farmer who cannot control the rain, sun, or seasons.
Having spent five years in Japan, I have encountered plenty of “unko” or shit as the locals call it. Despite my best efforts, I have yet to reach my ultimate goals. I often feel like I’m still crawling through a tunnel-like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption. My strategy is to keep my head down and work. When I do look back, I realize how far I’ve come, even if it isn’t as far as I hoped. Learning in public keeps me accountable for continuously striving towards my goal.
I Didn’t Land That Dream Job
Recently, I didn’t land the job I was aiming for, despite technically having the best video production among the applicants. Childish Gambino once said that if artists create art that stays true to themselves, they are one of the best. But taste is subjective. I believed my video was the best, but it didn’t mean it was the best fit for the employer’s needs. As Philip Toshio once said, “No matter how well you play, no matter how large your spirit, no matter how much your sound speaks the truth, some people simply will not be moved. Your music will not appeal to their taste.”
It Wasn’t Meant to Be
As I boarded the train, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I hadn’t gotten the job. My autism makes it hard to understand my emotions. The disappointment was palpable, but it wasn’t just the outcome that left me feeling uneasy. The interview process felt unprofessional and disorganized. After rearranging my schedule and making time for the opportunity, I was informed last minute that the position had already been filled. While I may not be an expert in business, I do believe that making decisions without all the information is a risky move. In my experience, the way people treat others is often a reflection of how they conduct themselves in business. Of course, I understand that sometimes fast decisions and less-than-ideal treatment can pay off, but it’s not a gamble I’m willing to take.
Despite being disappointed, I decided to attend the meet and greet for the role. I was relieved that nothing was on the line. This allowed me to express my thoughts on the content strategy, role requirements, and even the owner’s plans. While talking about a range of topics, I learned perhaps the role wasn’t for me anyway. It became clear that the owner and I had different visions for the role and its content. He seemed disappointed that no one had asked for his opinion during the skills assessment, but I felt his prompt was left too open-ended.
While his words said inject your own style, he seemed to want more control over the content. In my humble opinion that would be a form of micromanagement to require a specific style. My current boss trusts me to manage my work, solve abstract problems, and present projects in my own way. I wouldn’t be able to return to a role where everything is micromanaged. Like Gary Vee, I believe in guiding someone to a larger goal, rather than controlling everything they do.
Learning to Build Motivation in Public
Disappointment and near misses can sometimes be the best motivation. My mom taught me to hold my head up high and show the world what I’m capable of. Especially when someone else is chosen over you. While confidence and ego can easily be mistaken, I remain humble. I still look up to other skilled creators like Sam Kolder, Darc, and various videographers around the world. Adopting a growth mindset, like my friend Steven Tang, has helped me stay grounded and motivated to grow.
Humble Learning in Public
Learning the basics can be surprisingly beneficial. I learned some golden lessons from a Sam Kolder video about DaVinci Resolve. Assigning shortcuts to cut and trim footage to increase workflow speed, but his second bit of advice applies to life itself. Always think about how to make things more efficient or better, think about actions you do all the time.
What you can learn from the software developers themselves is amazing. I’ve been learning so much about Microsoft’s Software Suite at work. It would also be possible to learn from BlackMagic about resolve on their own education platform. I also plan to log what I do in order to improve keeping with the theme of learning in public. A log of activity is a lifesaver at work and it not only holds me accountable to myself but I write little notes about optimization in there.
No Excuses, Just Get Better
In sports, sometimes you lose due to something little, an unlucky play, call, or bounce.. But when you are so much better than your opponents, it doesn’t matter if there’s an unlucky event. When you have a massive advantage you make your own luck. The next time I go for any position I’ll be the best applicant by a mile. I’m hoping that because I’m learning in public no one will have thought I got there easily. In fact learning in public might get me a position somewhere.
Positive Takeaways
Every experience has something positive you can take away from it. Last weekend I demonstrated my belief system. The week before that I was producing a lot of content after work. Not winning the position reignited my passion for learning and improving. During the mock interview, I received an unbiased perspective of my content were all positive takeaways.
What Went Well? Not so Well?
I’m good at expressing my style and voice, telling and crafting stories, motion graphics, color grading, camerawork, and authenticity. I failed at telling the story of the client, including funny moments, and the sound mixing could be better.
Priceless Takeaways:
The best thing I gained from this whole interview process was spending time with my cousin and friends in Yokohama. Time with people you enjoy being around is precious.
Taking that first step toward a goal is always the hardest, but it’s worth it. I now have my eyes set on a really cool position in my hometown at the art school I want to go to.
