Courage · 2 min read
Let someone see what you are making
The work on your desk could become useful to somebody. Let it meet a reader, a listener or a person who can offer honest feedback. Choose a sensible first audience and share something real. You give your effort another chance to grow when you allow it to be seen.
You have been making something: a piece of writing, a design, a song, an idea for a community event. You can keep improving it in private, and some private practice is valuable. Eventually, another person's experience can tell you things you cannot learn by looking at the work alone. Give the project a chance to reach that stage.
Choose the audience with care. A trusted reader, a teacher or a small group of people who might use the result can be a strong beginning. You do not have to publish unfinished work to the entire internet. Explain what kind of response would help: where the instructions are confusing, which part holds attention, or what a real user needs next.
Listen for information you can use. Some feedback will be specific and helpful. Some will reflect a different preference. You can consider both without handing every decision away. Ask a follow-up question when a comment is unclear. Then return to the work with a better understanding of how another person experiences it, and decide what deserves to change.
Sharing carries uncertainty. The response may be quieter than you hoped, or reveal a weakness you had not noticed. You still gain an opportunity to learn and connect. The idea that never leaves your desk has fewer chances to help anyone. Bring the work to an appropriate stage, choose a thoughtful audience and let it enter the world far enough to receive an honest response.
Give your work a chance to reach someone.
About this piece
Original STUDmotivation writing; everyday examples are illustrative.
Written to encourage worthwhile effort and positive action. Our approach and sources.