As I mentioned in my last blog, I’ve been working away on developing a funding application over the past few days. I also reached out to a new potential collaborator, had a great conversation and shared some of the work I’ve been doing on two projects.
Both of these activities forced me to look at my work with fresh perspective. To imagine that I was looking at these things for the first time. (It also helped that I genuinely hadn’t looked at them for a few months!). To my surprise, I found myself feeling really excited by these two projects and their potential. Where before all I had been able to see were the problems, the obstacles that were preventing them from going any further, now I was able to see the originality and energy of the ideas and concepts. I gained some perspective.
This is a common trait in many people. As humans, we are hardwired to see the problems, rather than recognise the achievements. By revisiting my work in this way, I was able to appreciate my own work to this point, as well as that of everyone else who helped get these projects to their current state. I was able to respect the effort, ideas and artistry that had already been put in.
So, the lesson here is to remember to take a step back once in a while and look at your work with some perspective. Be kind to yourself and recognise what you have achieved. Focus on the positives and what has been done – rather than dwelling on the could haves and should haves and need tos of the project. Just look at it for what it is and recognise your own achievements.