Depending on your line of work, where you live, or whether you’re a student or not, we all break up the passage of time in different ways. Maybe August marks the beginning of the year for you. Maybe it’s January 1. Either way, there’s usually a point in the year at which we take time to reflect on what has passed and what is yet to come. Next month marks one full year of The Iteration Project so we’re taking some time to reflect on this last year and look joyfully and excitedly towards the next. In anticipation of our anniversary I wanted to share some things we learned this past year.
- Community is a powerful thing. It can also be a grossly undervalued and misunderstood thing.
- It takes time, patience, and hard work to build community.
- Lots of it.
- Create. Because your work affects the people who see it and it matters to them, even if they’ve never told you so.
- Practice. There is no such thing as perfect, but there is such a thing as improvement, and exploration, and deepening knowledge, and expanding horizons.
- The only person or thing standing in your way is yourself. You are your own worst enemy.
- Support others first.
- Worry about others last.
- Open your heart to them and they will open theirs to you.
- Criticism is important and necessary, but when perpetually self-inflicted becomes harmful and caustic.
- Reflection is important, but only as a learning tool. Getting bogged down by should-haves and what-ifs doesn’t help. Look back, reflect, learn, and move on.
- Lastly, always double check that you have entered an appropriate subject line for the weekly newsletter. “CATCHY SUBJECT” isn’t as catchy as you would think.
What have you learned in the past year? The past month? The past week? We’d love to hear some of your reflections on the creative life in the comments below.
The Iteration Project 