Field Notes: You Get What You Give

A cautionary tale about the scarcity mindset

On the first day of my Editing II class at Columbia College, our instructor introduced himself and then explained why he wouldn’t actually be teaching us anything that semester…

“Once you graduate, you’re my competition. I’m twice your age and you’ll work for half as much. So I’m not going to show you what I know.”

Oh… kay.

A few of us exchanged looks. Did we hear that correctly? Did this guy just say the quiet part loud? I was stunned by his vulnerability, but I was also thinking about how much money I was spending for the privilege of sitting in Stodgy McStonewall’s Hovel of Ignorance.

Over the next few months, it became clear that this instructor was particularly prickly with the students he felt most threatened by. There were quite a few projects where it felt like the better we did, the worse it might be for us. One of our assignments was to cut together an action scene from an episode of Law & Order: SVU. I distinctly remember making the decision to turn in one of my earlier cuts instead of the final edit because I was worried about how he’d react to something too polished.

This utterly deranged situation would have been hilarious if it weren’t so nerve-wracking. But just because I wasn’t learning anything from him didn’t mean I wasn’t learning anything at all. Since we’d been left to our own devices, that class probably wound up forming a much tighter bond than we would have otherwise. We swapped notes, shared tips & tricks, and went out of our way to help one another. I was definitely a much better editor when that semester was over.

I doubt our instructor could say the same. Since he had been so withholding, I truly believe he was the one who walked away empty-handed. He built walls to protect his kingdom, but that also meant no one could trade with him. And a lot of those other kingdoms had their own treasures to share. So as the rest of us communicated, collaborated, and prospered… he simply stagnated.

And look, it’s not like I don’t have sympathy for the guy. I did then and I definitely do now. But the axiom is true: you get what you give.

And that’s why a scarcity mindset like his can be so dangerous. It breeds fear and jealousy. If someone else wins, it means you lost. That’s a ruinous worldview that replaces long-term problem-solving with counterproductive coping mechanisms. And in the case of this instructor, he wound up engineering the exact scenario he was trying to shield himself from.

The thing is, when I think about all of the creative folks I’ve known over the years, it’s not like this guy is an outlier. He might be one of the more dramatic examples, but a lot of artists operate from a place of fear. They’re afraid of their ideas being stolen, techniques being co-opted, opportunities being taken, etc.

But - despite this instructor’s best efforts - I guess he did wind up teaching me something: if that’s how you choose to go through life, the only person you’re holding back is yourself.

“Happiness is not made by what we own. It is what we share.” - Jonathan Sacks

5 Cool Things

Pep Talks For Writers by Grant Faulkner. This is a collection of 52 short essays about creativity and the craft of writing. Each chapter ends with an exercise to help you put that particular piece of wisdom into practice. Although writers will certainly get the most out of this, a lot of these “pep talks” apply to almost any creative practice. It was a quick, inspiring read and I highlighted quite a few topics I plan on covering in future posts.

The Washington Post Daily Crossword Puzzle. The cognitive benefits of crossword puzzles are well documented. I started doing them to help with my anxiety because they get me out of my own head for a while. WaPo’s is free and I usually do it while I have my first cup of coffee. Is the caffeine just canceling out the calming effects of the puzzle? Possibly! But this is one part of my morning routine that I always look forward to.

Jury Duty on Amazon FreeVee (it just means free with commercials). I wish this show was getting more attention. The conceit is that a guy thinks he’s been selected to participate in a documentary about jury duty, but what he doesn’t realize is that every other person involved with this trial is an actor and none of it’s real. It’s hilarious, surprisingly uplifting, and pretty mindblowing. It’s insane how elaborate it gets and that they were able to pull this off.

Speaking of TV shows, I know I probably don’t have a lot of other Trekkies reading this, but oh my God season three of Star Trek: Picard made me so happy. Even if you’re not a fan of the franchise, you might still appreciate the amount of work and level of detail that went into recreating one of the most iconic sets from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I can’t even think about the episode in question without getting a little emotional. Bonus - here’s Wil Wheaton stepping back onto that set for the first time.

And finally, this one’s for my musician friends. If you’re not familiar with Rick Beato’s YouTube channel, you might want to check it out. It’s loaded with great insights, tutorials, and interviews about songwriting and music production.

Take care, friends. Talk to you soon.