There are few things more excruciating than showing someone an unfinished draft. A final completed project - sure. A finished manuscript - absolutely. A final cut - no prob!
But the half-baked messy middle of a project you know isn’t quiiiiiiite there yet? No, thanks. I’d rather crawl up in a hole and die, tyvm.
I’m thousands of drafts into this process and still, each time, the sting of my incomplete work hitting the light of day - being seen by another human, who has questions, thoughts, and feedback - it still hurts. Especially, if that person has hard-hitting questions like, “What are you trying to do here?” or “What does this mean?” or “Do you mean to write ‘forklypht’ and not ‘forklift?’”
Intellectually, I know they’re being helpful. I know I asked. I know. I KNOW.
But, emotionally, it is like showing up naked in a room where everyone isn’t just dressed, but is dressed well.
Develop a thicker skin (and why you should not)
Conventional wisdom suggests we get tougher, more able to take the hits and absorb them. “Take the yes’s personally, and the no’s professionally,” as my dad used to say.
I disagree. I don’t think anything is wrong with your skin. It is vulnerable to show your work in progress. That part doesn’t change.
What changes is feeling like we’re the only ones with $#%tty first drafts (SFDs, as Anne Lammot calls them). We aren’t the only ones. Everyone’s work starts somewhere and gets better. Everyone’s projects improve with more editing, time, and feedback.
That’s part of the process.
Once you accept the process, the vulnerable feeling of “MY FIRST DRAFT MUST BE MUSEUM WORTHY” dissipates. Because you know what’s right around the corner: The next version.
At Brainstorm Road We Show Our Works in Progress
When
and I designed the community to have a showcase, we didn’t want people showing off completed work. We wanted to see the messy middle part.That’s why we have The Brainstorm Road Show in the middle, not the end, of your 6 months as a member.
We challenged people to show up when it wasn’t polished and pretty. And stand tall and proud. The Brainstorm Road Show has become one of my favorite live events as a result.
Everyone is at a different stage of their work.
It’s brave, it’s inspired, and it’s fun.
Your first version will always be the version that needs improvement. That doesn’t make it bad. And it doesn’t mean anything significant about your skill, talent, or commitment.
It simply means it’s first.
We found when you put people in a room together with their drafts, something magical happens: We become encouraging.
There’s no judgment, criticism, or one-upping. There’s excitement. There’s cheering. There’s “Whoa! You did what! That is so cool!!”
So many of us create in isolation. And those of us who don’t, find environments that are unkind, critical, and competitive (*cough* MFA programs *cough*).
That’s not what we’re about.
Brainstorm Roadies are like an excited group of friends who cannot wait to hear the end of your story. We’re rooting for you and your project. We’re following along because we think it’s cool and we care.
Check out the Brainstorm Road Show and see for yourself here.
You’ll see projects like Stella the Stem Cell, Road Sodas, Japanese Caligraphy, Origami for fun, Bridge with Ballers (yes, like the card game), a living biome, a newly launched EP, and more.
You don’t get to the finished version unless you begin your first version.
It helps when you have others encouraging you along the way.
You can be part of this when you check out The Brainstorm Road Show and leave a like, high five, or comment. This is where members showcase their works in progress in public (after our live event). It’s up there for the internet to see.
But instead of feeling naked, we hope you feel seen.
beep beep,
Margo
Join Our Waitlist
If you’d like to see what it feels like to share your work in progress alongside people doing the same, we’re opening up the Brainstorm Road waitlist for this summer. Click here to get on our waitlist.
Develop a thicker skin (and why you should not)
Precisely. I did that for a long time. When you’re an improvising musician, it seems like the only choice.
The tougher skin is a burden. It takes a toll on the artist. It’s a shell and requires effort to maintain it.
In my case it earned me a chronic back spasm. (Thankfully, that was resolved a long time ago.)
Yes, it’s really hard to accept the vulnerability. It’s necessary. And there are tools you can use to survive it.
Me? I’m getting there.
This speaks to exactly what I just recently experienced. I let some of the gang (Brainstorm Roadies) see the first draft of my latest script. It had issues. But they were kind, and helpful. It is so key to have a community with whom to share the messy middle stage of making a project! I too love the Show—it was so smart to have it take place in the middle of the 6-month session. I love that y’all gently pressure everyone to show where they are, get support, and be encouraged to keep going.