Today's guest post is by my geniusy warrior friend, Alejandro Reyes. Not only does he have cra-mazing technology magics, he's also got gobs of warrior wisdom that he dishes out regularly over at his site, Enso Journey. I'm pee-in-your-pants excited to share his smarts with all of you!
I have a story and a challenge for you. I know Ellen will allow me to do this, because The Hairy Edge is about daring to do what you wouldn't do a minute before.
It takes courage to get out of your comfort zone and create something meaningful, and I truly believe we’re all designers, everyone can be creative. Hell, I love design in all its forms.
But I’ll limit this to my experience with my brother and his students.
My brother is a university professor. He teaches his graphic design students how to rock the world. I believe teaching is a calling for noble souls.
But as in any story there’s a problem. One constant we have seen in schools is that students never shoot to thrill, they aim low to deliver only what you ask for. They’re more desktop printers than creative human beings. This makes my blood boil and breaks my heart.
I’m tired of a system that tries hard to create mediocre clones, people who just press buttons and create simple effects in Photoshop using online tutorials. I want students to fly, and fly high!
When my brother asked me to go with him to evaluate his students, I was truly happy to help. What I didn’t know is that there was a horror story waiting for me.
A Horror Story
The idea was simple, I was supposed to be the client, and they were trying to sell me an idea, a little red juice for kids. They had to create a wonderful presentation and a kick-ass product, without any instructions.
Why no instructions? Isn't a teacher supposed to give their students all the knowledge they need?
Yes and no. I believe a good teacher allows you to build your own knowledge and guides you as you need. But the teacher is NOT Wikipedia trying to just fill you with information.
The point of the exercise was to see the students do their best and then help them focus on the areas they could improve. Yes, it’s a bit harsh, but the world won’t be any kind to them once they are out there in the wild.
The Attack of the Mediocre Clones
Yes, that sounds harsh, but unfortunately it’s the truth.
I witnessed 3 groups of students crashing, burning, whining and saying they’re misunderstood. They complained that the exercise was unfair. I saw victims, not designers.
For over 3 hours, we only saw kids who were afraid, because they didn't deliver. If I would have raised my voice a little bit more then one would have broken into tears. It was sad–these kids are about to finish college, and all they could do was complain!
The students were unable to see that they’re their own demise. You see, in a world where we’re bombarded with information left and right, if you want to move up the ranks and reach your own definition of success, you need to aim higher. You need to shoot to thrill!
Shoot to thrill!
Yes, I’m an AC/DC fan, and maybe you caught the reference. But I’m not talking about the song, I’m talking about really trying to create something that you’ll be proud of.
I'll share something with you, it’s not a secret, but a lot of people seems to forget it. The formula for success is super simple:
- You have an idea
- You aim high until you feel uncomfortable
- You say “Fuck fear” and just head on and face it
- You pull the trigger and shoot to thrill
Yes, it sounds simple. And don’t roll your eyes. You know it’s true.
That’s what my brother’s exercise is all about. His students got this success formula straight up in his class.
The students had a second chance, the same exercise, but this time armed with all the knowledge they had after crashing.
To my horror, the first two teams tried hard to thrill me with their presentation, but it didn't work because I still felt the fear in their voices. They weren't proud of their product.
It’s not about me, it’s not about anyone else, it’s about YOU!
There is a caveat on the last point on the formula I stated above. You can’t thrill anyone else unless you thrill yourself first. To sell an idea to the world, you have to be truly convinced you know what you are doing. Yes, you may be nervous, but you need to believe in yourself and your idea.
The last team understood this part, and they created something that they were proud of. They changed their whole presentation. They even dressed like monkeys just to sell the mascot they created for the little red juice.
They made us feel joy and happiness–they thrilled us!
How did they do it? By believing in their project, by loving what they did and by aiming high. They took the leap from a school presentation to a real business presentation. They felt uneasy, but they grew.
Are you ready to pull the trigger?
From all the students, just one team truly understood what was going on, the rest just kept complaining.
Now it’s your turn. I want you to go deep into your soul and search for the answer, not for me, not for Ellen, not for anyone else. Do it for yourself.
Are you going to complain or are you ready aim high and thrill us with your work?
Say it loud and clear in the comments, let it be your promise to yourself!
Alex Reyes (@EnsoJourney) is the co-founder of Enso Journey. He is a geek seeking to turn himself into a modern warrior. You can train with him by joining the Enso Journey Warrior Dojo for free.
Join Us!
I'd love to hear more from you, my rock star readers.
Chat me up or slide me a guest post idea at The Hairy Edge post office.
Join The Dare Club just by subscribing to my e-list. All the cool kids do.
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook.
If you liked this article, you might also like:
Image by Symic
