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!!Fail Faster: An Interactive Guide
[[Let's Start!->Intro]]
[[Help?]]Fail Faster is a creative philosophy originating from Game Design. I came across it a year ago from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDjrOaoHz9s" title="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDjrOaoHz9s">Fail Faster - A Mantra for Creative Thinkers - Extra Credits video</a>.<<linkappend "*">> (I don’t know if they originated the term or if there’s someone to credit; if there is let me know.)<</linkappend>>
[[Alright!->statement2]]What have you always wanted to learn, or just a skill you want to improve on?
I want to... (be specific)
<<textarea "$learn" "" autofocus>>
[[ok!->statement1]]
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yl9TVbAal5s?start=262" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you can't watch the video, I understand. [[I’ll summarize.->brainPart2]]
This video is a little long, but worth a watch. To summarize, Carol Dweck studied students who had a “fixed mindset,” believing talent was innate, versus “growth mindset,” where it is an improvable skill. Students with a fixed mindset freaked out at difficult problems, since failure would mean they were stupid. Students with the growth mindset persisted at the challenge since failure meant improvement.
They key is how she formed those two groups. One group, she praised for their results, saying “Good job! You’re very smart.” The second, she praised for their process, saying “Good job! You have a clever strategy, or are very persistent.”
[[Tell me more!->brainPart3]] Iteration, not success, is the goal. The more often we fail, the more we produce, and the better we get.
Failure is something to [[strive for->prompt2]].So you want to $learn.
"I can move toward this goal by...today."
<<textarea "$completemethod" "" autofocus>>
[[ok!->statement3]]Between June 9th and July 7th, I introduce,
!!!the FAIL FASTER CHALLENGE!
This month you will do it in spades, focusing on the process and moving it towards completion rather than making sure each part is polished. The idea is that by the end, you will have a really good idea of how to do that thing well!
[[Here's what we're about!->brainPart]]
[[Let's get started!->prompt1]]By starting with <u>$completemethod</u>
You'll better know about <u>$learn</u>
by the end of the month!
[[nice!->statement4]]How will the Fail Faster challenge help? Fail Faster challenges you to complete things quickly. It’s a 3 step process, <<linkappend"so read carefully:">>
<<linkappend"1: START">>
<<linkappend"2: DO">>
<<linkappend"3: COMPLETE">>
[[that's it?->statement5]]
<</linkappend>>
<</linkappend>>
<</linkappend>>
<</linkappend>>No fear of failure. Don’t try to make it “good.” If you’ve pulled it through all three steps, you’ve succeeded in the challenge.
<<linkappend"THREE CHEERS!">>
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/xUPGcMzwkOY01nj6hi/giphy.gif" width= "300" height="300" alt="yay balloons and confetti">
The idea is that it’ll kickstart improvement, get you over that hump of fearing that you won’t be good at it, and literally reformat your understanding of success.
[[Awesome job!->statement6]]
<</linkappend>>When the going gets tough, know, you're not alone.
Please follow our Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/failfaster2019" title="https://twitter.com/failfaster2019">(source)</a>, join our Discord <a href="https://discord.gg/fpu2VDS" title="https://discord.gg/fpu2VDS">(source)</a> and share what you’ve made with others who are doing the same.
[[Final Words]]
So, to get out of a fixed mindset, we just need start praising process instead. But what does that even look like?
We haven’t really been exposed to process-based success. The public school system, poor thing, is entirely based on standardized results. Between your GPA, test scores, and grades, no wonder high schoolers say they “hate math” and “can’t even draw a stick figure.”
And out of school, especially for artists, our worth is equivalent to what we can create. Staying alive means selling good art (woo, capitalism!). We creatives can know logically that practice makes perfect, but when it comes to trying something new, knowing we’ll be bad at it when we start makes it feel really scary.
So we’re in this spot because of decades of harmful schooling, held in place by the vice grip of an entire economic system.
[[Tell me more!->ArtPart1]]
[[I want to start now!->statement2]]
<img src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/e7acb5a8e16d00b85b5d13f0579b1044/tumblr_inline_p7giziBd2x1qbwjq7_400.png" alt="A comic with two panels. The first, labeled “THE ARTIST,” shows someone putting a small cake next to a huge cake, saying “aw man, that guy’s cake is way better than mine.” The second panel, labeled “THE AUDIENCE,” shows an excited figure saying “holy shit! Two cakes!”">
In the comic above, the audience totally didn’t judge the artist. The artist could have made anything, and as long as it was recognizably a cake, they succeeded. For the artist, failure was not even on the table. This is the attitude I want to introduce during Fail Faster.
[[more!->ArtPart2]]In a well-known story, students in a ceramics class were split into two groups, one graded only for quantity and one graded only for quality. At the end of the semester, the best pieces overwhelmingly came from the quantity group, despite the quality group working on their single piece for months in painstaking detail.
The quantity group were in a unique situation where failure was not even on the table: as long as they just kept the pots coming, they were succeeding. And their pots got better and better.
This is the situation I want to bring to you during Fail Faster. As long as you are making, //you are succeeding//. Failure is not even on the table.
[[When and Where is this?->bonus1]]
[[let's get started!->statement2]][[Begin Failing Faster->statement2]]
[[The Brain Science->brainPart]]
[[How the Art Works->ArtPart1]]
[[Where and When?->bonus1]]
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HzX45ISUq_c2ARejb7FeP0uA1t5qeZ4Y/view" title="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HzX45ISUq_c2ARejb7FeP0uA1t5qeZ4Y/view">The Guide Doc</a>
[[Credits]]<<linkappend"What's the timeline?">>
I want to note that Fail Faster isn’t designed for one art process specifically, although it is being designed by an animator so, bias noted. I can offer timeline suggestions, though; small things, such as drawing a portrait, may be daily. Large things, such as writing a song or making a short film, might be completed weekly. As long as you prioritize swiftness and iteration, go at the pace that is right for you.<</linkappend>>
<<linkappend"Where will it happen?">>
If you are making art, you’re a part of the challenge! However, you can follow our <a href="https://twitter.com/failfaster2019" title="https://twitter.com/failfaster2019">Twitter</a>, join our <a href="https://discord.gg/fpu2VDS" title="https://discord.gg/fpu2VDS">Discord</a>, and share what you’ve made with others who are doing the same.
You are not obligated to share. The purpose of this challenge is to overcome the fear of failure step by step, not to force you into something you’re not comfortable with. But remember that showing off art is a skill that can be practiced. So post your art on twitter with the hashtag #failfasterchallenge, and show it off in the discord! And read this guide to critique while you’re at it! <</linkappend>>
<div align ='center'>Credits
<a href="https://kriahfox.wixsite.com/animation" title="jamiegarrettart.com">Jamie Garrett</a> - Writer, Creator
<a href="https://jubnuggets.wixsite.com/artportfolio" title="jubnuggets.com">Vian Nguyen</a> - Coder, Twine Developer</div>
So let’s try it. Let’s, for once, be totally happy slapping around in the clay of creation, not minding the outcome, and not fearing judgment. Let’s have a good time!
Don't forget to start small with <u>$completemethod</u>
You'll better know about <u>$learn</u>
by the end of the month!
I’ll see you on the 9th!
[[Credits]] Click the <<linkappend"blue links to interact">> --You did it!<</linkappend>>
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