Find your voice, shout it from the rooftops, and keep doing it until the people that are looking for you find you. - Dan Harmon In Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work! he asserts his own creativity as he maps out 10 steps to sharing the work that you do in a meaningful way. He makes any amateur feel like he or she has the potential to do something great. In his first chapter, Kleon makes it clear that establishing audience is not reserved for the genius or the superstar. It is something that it is equally accessible to the common man and woman as well. There are no requirements other than to simply show your work. |
This book proved to be exceptionally applicable to me as I step into my professional career as an educator. In being introduced to the Twitter platform, I was introduced to all of these incredible teachers with millions of followers, simply because they were good at their job and were able to show the work to prove it. With that, it proves that there is power available to the amateur. In agreement with that distribution of power, C.S. Lewis states that “the fellow-pupil can help more than the master because he knows less. The difficulty we want him to explain is one he has recently met. The expert met it so long ago he has forgotten.” There is power, beauty, and creativity in the process of being an amateur.
I have heard it called before “the professionals blindside.” Professionals are far removed from the grind, from the struggle of getting to where they are. Often, experts find that it has been years since the last time they struggled in their professional careers. Therein lies the advantage of the amateur. Austin Kleon agrees that just by making a commitment to learning in front of others, people will naturally be drawn to follow your work. He strongly believes that it is important to “wear your amateurism on your sleeve” (19). It is essential to let others be a part of the journey.
In regards to my own journey, this book has proven to be truly enlightening. I never thought that it truly mattered whether or not my “work” was seen by others. However, it is not necessarily about either being seen or not being seen, but about sharing what you are doing with others. In being introduced to Twitter as a way to collaborate, network, and make contacts, I have seen the fruit of being able to connect with educators from all around the globe. However, I have been doing a lot of begging, borrowing, and stealing if you will. I have not been equally submitting my own work out into the world. The reason being is that I was skeptical it could ever truly reach someone. This is the exact perspective that this book attempts to fight against.
There is power in being an amateur. It speaks volumes to be a part of the creating, making, and inventing process. Through letting others be part of the beginning stages of growth I can be sure that they are in for the long haul of my learning. I truly enjoyed Austin Kleon's text and I felt truly inspired to begin showing my work.
I have heard it called before “the professionals blindside.” Professionals are far removed from the grind, from the struggle of getting to where they are. Often, experts find that it has been years since the last time they struggled in their professional careers. Therein lies the advantage of the amateur. Austin Kleon agrees that just by making a commitment to learning in front of others, people will naturally be drawn to follow your work. He strongly believes that it is important to “wear your amateurism on your sleeve” (19). It is essential to let others be a part of the journey.
In regards to my own journey, this book has proven to be truly enlightening. I never thought that it truly mattered whether or not my “work” was seen by others. However, it is not necessarily about either being seen or not being seen, but about sharing what you are doing with others. In being introduced to Twitter as a way to collaborate, network, and make contacts, I have seen the fruit of being able to connect with educators from all around the globe. However, I have been doing a lot of begging, borrowing, and stealing if you will. I have not been equally submitting my own work out into the world. The reason being is that I was skeptical it could ever truly reach someone. This is the exact perspective that this book attempts to fight against.
There is power in being an amateur. It speaks volumes to be a part of the creating, making, and inventing process. Through letting others be part of the beginning stages of growth I can be sure that they are in for the long haul of my learning. I truly enjoyed Austin Kleon's text and I felt truly inspired to begin showing my work.