Seth Grodin's "Brainwashed" is an interesting article that suggests that everything we are taught to do in school is actually set up to make us fear failure so much as to limit any attempt to strive outside what is "tried-and-true". Within this article, Grodin discussed seven layers that we can acknowledge and apply to reinvent ourselves.
One such layer contemplates the idea of "Acknowledging the Lizard". The instinct that shuts us down when there is a chance at failure or being mocked is "the lizard", and it is this portion of our genetic code that tells us to obey authority, do as we are told without question, and behave as a cog in a machine. To acknowledge the lizard is to understand that such a fear exists, and ignoring it to take a risk to create something new or profound.
The seventh layer - the key to the others - is learning. It suggests that school is not something we attend until we earn a degree or graduate - it is a lifelong process. Learning is a constant process, not a timed event. By understanding that we must learn and grow everyday, the individual can thrive in an environment that doesn't necessarily promote such ideals.
The Lizard layer can be connected to this blog in that writing and sharing information is a creative endevour with the possibility of failure. But taking the risk to express thoughts is worth the potential of such thoughts being misunderstood or disagreed with. Likewise, the seventh layer of learning correlates directly with this blog. Learning is not something that happens once in one's youth. One must continue learning, and through this blog we are encouraged to explore and explain various aspects of media that otherwise we likely would not. These blogs make me a better creative individual by requiring me to write about certain creative processes, and explain my reasoning behind them. The process of understanding and communicating one's thoughts succinctly is a valuable skill in succeeding in the creative industries.
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