YOU have the right to be AWESOME! Don't let the snobs get you down
Posted on: May 10, 2008
Over the last few weeks, I've received mixed correspondence which expressed appreciation for my Second Life video tutorials oriented at beginners, but sounded rather concerned/alarmed about the more advanced content creation vidtuts I'm doing, such as "Editing & uploading sounds" and "Sculpted prims made simple".
The general point which I've heard in various forms dating back to 2004 in SL is:
Leave it to the experts to do professional work!
which really isn't a point at all, because "professional" and "expert" are both overused and undermeaning. It's all too easy to rack up some credentials and call yourself an expert on TV — complete with motion graphics blasting their way through the lower third! — and this is just another example of labels being used to constrain and limit, instead of providing accessibility and ease-of-judgment. When I call someone an "expert", it means, regardless of formal training (altho they could very well have that), that I trust their opinion to be that of an authority in one or more given areas. It also means there's subjectivity involved, since hey, whether you're a food, movie, or art critic, you know what they say about opinions. Even the hard sciences have their personalities.
So moving on, I'm very much in the same thoughtleague with Bob Ross, Carl Sagan, Bruce Lee ('cept I'm not dead yet) and others who've done much to popularize fields (respectively: visual art, natural sciences, martial arts) notorious for closeminded snobs who didn't want others to enter — "protect the secrets at all costs!" Blah.
Second Life, paired with an acceleration of what I call goodfastcheap technology, is seen as a threat to some of these snobs, precisely because it opens up doors, bridges, and other connective metaphors to learning and doing greater things.
Snobs won't admit it either — and it's a human problem, not an SL problem — but many people than I'd care for are tragically crippled by being too focused on personal gain — greed, fame, and riches! — and don't want others who are "less" than them to engage in the same pursuits. Why? Because they're afraid of losing money and self-esteem due to ambitious, enthusiastic upstarts. But those upstarts can't be stopped, because they don't confine themselves, they don't bound themselves in the same boxes of mental bondage that the hoggish snobs do.
Instead of being so scared, I embrace new potential collaborators, fresh blood pumped into the veins of a social ecosystem where ideological incest — the ugly "echo chamber" — threatens to rear its malformed head because of people who talk in closed circles and don't bring in outside influences. Whether it's tight-fisted academia or partying ravers, no field is prone from a quasi-idiocracy brought about by snobs.
When I was deeply involved in electronic music, I came across this thinthink mentality a lot, and it sadly continues today. For example, the bitterness that accosted drum 'n' bass band Pendulum upon their rockin' popularity outside the existing borders of their root genre. I understand the hate all too well: snobs weren't always snobs. And they're still people. But somewhere along the way, they learned something they felt protective of, maybe they paid a lot for courses (ironic) or expensive equipment relating it, and want to feel some validation, some artifice of inner "happiness" that they're special. Of course they're special if they can paint, sing, dance, or push prims well, but that doesn't entitle them to deter or block easy entry of newcomers into the field. Some of those newcomers will be the shining stars, the true experts of the future.
Which is why EVERYONE has the right to be awesome! YOU sure do.
AWESOMENESS is not a privilege, but the full bloom of a seed that grows within us, that rewards us upon fulfilling one potential after another. Many seeds, a whole garden of vibrant delights. I think often of kids who scribble on the walls (I was one), and to an "art expert", it looks like crap which won't sell at Christie's, but to the child's parents, it's the greatest work in the world. Up to that point… can you imagine what will happen if those parents keep fertilizing their young with brilliant possibilities? 
We all started as babies. We all needed to learn to crawl before we got up on our hind legs, which got us pretty excited, so excited that we'd jump around. And if humans ever evolve to a degree that they're portrayed in Second Life, flying isn't out of the picture.
The same is true of any skill that we pick up. I believe it's always essential to help someone kindly and not scare them away from acquiring skills by making them look harder than they actually are. Puffing up difficulty levels with false words and other intimidatory garbage is worthless and just makes the world a more complex, hard-to-live-in place. That's why I make such strong emphasis of learning Second Life skills in a fun, fast, & friendly way — it's true! Sure, there's a learning curve. Sure, the UI could be simplified and there are many usability/humane improvements I'd vouch for, but that doesn't discount what I'm showing and sharing, cool stuff that you can accomplish in a few minutes.
I also am not careful — but bold! — to communicate that when you learn these skills, it's just the beginning of a journey, but the first few steps hopefully inspire you to keep walking. Little wins and successes into such vast arenas, especially the multicolored cornucopia of creation that awaits us in Second Life, are important, because without being good at the little things, you'll be discouraged and move on.
I'm also the type who loves to keep sharing when I've cool discoveries of use to you. Whether it's a tool that made my lives easier or a doodle that made me laugh, this is all part of celebrating my humanity and creatively expressing myself in hopes you'll spread the passion. As a child, my parents pampered my creativity and encouraged me to keep asking "Why?" and I know a lot of my peers didn't have it so easy. We can't replace those past memories, but we can build new ones, encouraging one's inner vision to flourish, being NON-judgmental about what comes forth from the spirit's stylus, and continue moving on.
I often think quietly then share those thoughts on my Twitter. It's a quick way to capture ideas. Here are a couple quotes that came to mind after some reflection:
Most people won't know what "better" is until you share it with them. So do so, cheerfully!
Don't demand perfection. But insist on continuous improvement.
As much as I dislike the diluted word "expert", it still has its uses, and a true expert to me is earnest and often eager to share what they've learned. Not everything can practically be shared (especially with the legalities that bind our societies), but a great deal can. A true expert, from my and your frame of reference, is analogous to a Gladwell-style "maven" who helps you better your life. You may not know them personally, but you feel connected with them, and your interpretation of their existence has bettered your life.
"Perfection" is another word often flaunted about in ads for overpriced carbon rocks. Which is not to say I'm altogether dismissive of them, but as I mentioned earlier, recognize "perfect"'s place and how it's simply not realistic. Here's what is: aim higher, travel further, and make small changes which add up to tremendous weights. As hard as it is to put into words, that's exactly how any creative achievement you care about comes to be.
Don't be afraid to get dirty and make mistakes. You'll adapt, you'll learn from them. Laugh at them later on. In all likelihood, if you don't keep repeating those mistakes, you will get better. Whether you're learning Second Life skills from me or journeying on other paths, if you keep getting better, you will be AWESOME.
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Be my friend!
May 10th, 2008 at 2:07 PM PDT
THANK YOU once again for being you and for taking the time to motivate new to sl, enthusiastic ppl like me that want to learn and be better and better each day. On my journey through SL Ive encountered many ppl that said to me "leave designing to the experts" "you cant do it" or things like that…now that Im becoming a known fashion designer (one that humbly recognize that is still in baby steps and that realized that learning is a whole life process)…well, now those ppl just hate me…or at least are not the same with me anymore. You see Torley there are many ppl that use SL just to please their egos and feel important. Some call themselves "philanytropists", others "experts", "couselors", "profesionals", blah, blah blah…reality is that some are just a bunch of hypocrites. Is good to know that there are ppl like you…ppl willing to sincerily share their knowledge with others and help ppl grow and become better and better in anything they wish to do without any stupid limits others want to impose. So THANK YOU again Torley, for this post and for sharing all those videos, your knowledge and your sl and rl with us. Blessigns for you and your wife always!
May 10th, 2008 at 3:12 PM PDT
So I am not the only one that thinks that way! Until I get around to actually be bothered to try and make money from SL I just create everything with full privs and hand out copies to any friends around who might be interested? Why? Because most ppl will respond in one of two ways (or both).
"Great! Thanks!" -> Either what I did was neat or they appreciated getting the copy.
"what if you fixed xyz or added abc?" -> It tells me how to improve something and I might even get some help on the way ('here is a script to do whatever').
May 10th, 2008 at 4:15 PM PDT
Great post, Torley. It's important to remember to not accept the boundaries that are constantly being set by others, but to always ask "why?" instead, and keep pursuing things that others might not necessarily grok at first (or ever).
Conformism is for the dead.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:53 PM PDT
Torley, thanks a ton. This needs said a thousand times.
I'm a sixty-year-old software engineer, came to Second Life this February, and have been having great fun and making good friends. I teach evening classes in computer science at a local community college, and I drive this point home every chance I get: Don't let anybody else hog the fun! Test often, compile oftener — and, between compiles, be daring!
You will never be able to prove a negative, so it will never be settled that there is a thing you absolutely can't do — and in the meantime, what will you try next?
(As for me, I'm waiting with bated breath — bate, bate! — for Qarl's location-sensing touch enhancement, which is going to let me put together a really spiffy user interface for my working astrolabe, without using up a ton of prims for the buttons and such…)
You're a generative presence, and I need to thank you for the many tutorials, which have jacked me up many a learning curve in the past few months. Clearly, you're not one to hog the fun.
May 11th, 2008 at 6:50 AM PDT
I think its fantastic that you not only concentrate on the newbie stuff but encourage us to try new things that look too difficult.
Before your tutorial I had tried sculpties and given up because I just couldn't get the hang of it now I am making them again and striving for better.
It doesn't matter to me if they are not good now I know with time, patience and practice they will get better - plus its fun to try and see what crazy stuff you can come up with LOL
I am not making them for business but purely for fun! Kepp it up and show everyone you don't have to be a total geek to make these things! A little bit of knowledge goes a long way, creativity and imagination do the rest.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:15 AM PDT
Chica, Kara, radar, and Faber — my appreciation for taking the time to share how you feel!
@Chica: It's so bogus and un-helpful when established designers or whatever try to put you down. The fact is, someone DOESN'T know if they'll be good UNLESS they give it their best shot! And then after the fact, people may think/feel diffrently, but in the meantime, I'd rather see encouraging of doing new things than "give up". Thank you, thank you!
@Kara: Exactly, those are the kind of reactions I've gotten too. And it says a lot about them as people, if you get help in-kind.
In my early Second Life, I started helping others because I was helped by some VERY nice Mentors. It's likely I wouldn't be where I am today had they not shown me the way.
@radar: Aye! Don't be a "sheeple"… at least not in the conformist way. Sheep ARE cute but shouldn't be mindless followers.
@Faber: I'm thrilled to hear of your experiences! I've been on an ongoing mission to discard what is wasteful from my life, and that includes cluttery negative attitudes of "you can't". Thanks also for watching my video tutorials!
@Dana: There's times I almost gave up too before someone showed me an easier, better way. And then sure enough in time, I found my own voice, my own ways of doing things — just like a baby learns to speak by mimicking others, then they develop their own vocabulary and style of speech.
I like that, "A little bit of knowledge goes a long way, creativity and imagination do the rest."
May 11th, 2008 at 8:39 AM PDT
Perfection's a temporal term. If it's perfect today, and perfect next year, you know you haven't grown in between.
Making stuff in SL is a lot like a good impromptu music set. You want the people around you to do awesome because you inspire each other, riff off each other, and the music just gets better and better! The product (the music in this case) might be great, but that wave of creative excitement going on between everybody there is what draws me back.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:42 AM PDT
AGAIN! You have managed to say it all again. Since I have come to second life the people encouraging me have been outnumbered 10 to 1 by the people discouraging me, and it comes in all forms … from the elitists that you spoke of to the folks that say SL is over … don't bother to learn how to do that now. You are truly a welcome voice in both lives and you manage to say it with a great compassion even for the hoards you stand in opposition to. I would be sad to have to live in a Torleyless world …
Bobsas
P.S. the two words I had to type to verify myself on this page were "arose ruthless" I think some of them do …
May 11th, 2008 at 12:15 PM PDT
well said, thanks for your work, it's ace!
The paradox of esoteric knowledge is that they only want to keep it to themselves because there isn't anything particularly difficult or obtuse to know, precisely the opposite, the esotericists only cling to their "hidden" knowledge because it maintains their power, and the historical precedent and influence of this hucksterism is terrifying!
May 12th, 2008 at 11:58 AM PDT
Thank you for this post & for your video tutorials. I love learning how things work in SL, even if I don't have a lot of time to try them out myself & may never make it to "awesome" (let alone "perfect").
May 12th, 2008 at 3:52 PM PDT
I watched your video tutorials (and others) on YouTube for weeks before coming to SL. They were/are great.
Once I was in world for a while, I was fortunate to meet up with some good people at NCI that were very encouraging of any effort a new person might make to be creative. That made SL a lot more pleasant than it might have been otherwise.
But in those videos you were my first teacher. I had no prior experience in on line 3D and you helped me by teaching me some of the simple little skills every new person needs to feel confident. They were important to me and I'm sure to many thousands of other people as well.
I always recommend them to new people wanting to learn; sometimes seeing things demonstrated is a hundred times faster than trying to learn them in any other manner.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:22 AM PDT
Thank You for posting this Torley, and keep inspiring us to be awesome despite the nay-sayers!
In the pursuit of knowledge-the journey itself IS the reward-
May 15th, 2008 at 11:06 AM PDT
Torley Torley!
I have been on SL only since April 26th of this year. Not too long ago, huh. In that time, I've already learned so much from your tutorials.. and made so many friends. i built some wonderful ginormous flowers and a gargoyle head using Sculpty paint. I love how you show the possibilities of what SL can be, and I think you really inspire. Thanks for all you do!
May 18th, 2008 at 7:43 AM PDT
@Storm: I'll agree that perfection is more relativistic than absolute. Hamlet Au has that term, "bebop reality", to describe what you said about "good impromptu music set". I think "jazz reality" is more obvious, tho.
@Bobsas: Thanks for sharing. I hope you understand that snobs/elitists/jerks/lowminds are a human problem not unique to Second Life, and you'll find them just about anywhere they go, whining about the inadequacies of others instead of trying to build upon themselves AND better others. That's precisely why I need to be very vocal about thriving on your personal power! Sounds like you had a fitting CAPTCHA.
@Lorna: It's like the ol' Wizard of Oz, eh? Not much behind the screen… LOL @ "hucksterism"!
@Lunette: You're SO welcome! Thanks so much for sharing this with me, I'm glad you find the vidtuts useful. And I wouldn't have known if you didn't tell me… so w00t!
@Corcosman: Wow! I really appreciate you telling me this… when I was new in Second Life, I had some very helpful Mentors who guided me on the path. There were also some unscrupulous folks who tried to rip me off teaching me basic knowledge, and I pressed on. We have many opportunities to document and teach things better, and I'm thrilled to keep contributing to that. Thank you for sharing them with new people wanting to learn too!
@Shani: Yes! And may you have many rewarding journeys.
@Metropolis: That is awesome, awesome to know. Haha, I want to see the gargoyle head. Have a picture or can you please send me a copy inworld? You're very welcome!
Rock on each and everyone! BE AWESOME!!!!