Read This. It challenged my way of thinking.

A pottery teacher divided his class into two teams. Team one was told they would be graded solely on the quantity of pots produced. The more pots they produced, the better grade they would get. Team two was told they would be graded purely on the quality of one pot. They only had to make one pot, but it had to be EXCELLENT in order to get the A.

Fast forward….Who do you think made the best pots?

If you said the “Quantity” team, then you are right. As the team produced more and more pots, they learned via trial and error and produced awesome pots.

The quality team on the other hand struggled to produce a halfway decent pot. They worried so much about producing the “perfect” pot, they let fear take over and bar them from success.

Please feel free to comment. Let's start a dialog!

The pottery story is adapted from Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Hall on February 16, 2009 at 9:46am

OK that's all well and good but try not to make your forum posts less self-promotional. Link to an actual article on your blog that relates to this story rather than just the homepage of your blog. Perhaps a another similar story.

And...this is far from a life changer.

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Permalink Reply by RyanDrumwright on February 16, 2009 at 10:06am

That is good advice. I will search for links. It changed the way I thought, and that is how I should have worded it. Maybe it is being young, but it stressed the importance of trial and error, and learning vs fear and over analysis. The whole "over analysis leads to paralysis" argument. I think this fable illustrated the obvious, and bolstered my confidence a little bit.

It is an interesting story though....

Have a great day and thanks for reading the post and commenting

Ryan

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Permalink Reply by larry on February 16, 2009 at 3:21pm

The word "stochastic" comes to mind (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stochastic ) in this example, and many examples of creativity and arts.

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Permalink Reply by martin Leach on February 19, 2009 at 10:40pm

Stochastic is a great word. I just looked it up via your link. Very cool. Advertising is definitely stochastic.

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Permalink Reply by TJ on February 21, 2009 at 2:38pm

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan...

You really, REALLY, R E A L L Y need to meet a dirty girl...or you're DOOMED

your future if you keep it up!

JUST SAYIN !<--------- COPYRIGHTED BY Angela Navitdidaddyaded (however you spell it)2009

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Permalink Reply by TJ on February 21, 2009 at 3:14pm

Staff-O-Life

good wine+great music x BETTER friends / awesome food = "It's a Wonderful Life"

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hall on February 21, 2009 at 7:54pm

Why is it the hottest girl is always in the middle in group pictures like this? There's gott abe an explanation:)

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Permalink Reply by TJ on February 21, 2009 at 7:58pm

probably because they're "used to" or "comfortable" in having their pictures taken...so they usually line up and pose first when someone asks for pictures ( Darwin's "Natural Selection" at work)...not needing coaxing to join the picture like some of the "less attractive" girls do....its also indicative of the social circles and the "Lead or Follow" mindset of said girls.

my theory anyway. I shoot a LOT of pretty women...so my research is supported.

Still doesn't change the glaring fact that Ryan needs to find a dirty girl before his views on life are set in "skewed" stone. Would YOU want an honest to goodness virgin working in YOUR Creative Dept?

Me neither.

Give me the 90 y.o. Grandma in the ass-less chaps and tattoos that can throw down a shot of Jack at 10a.m.