failure

The Last Failbender

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OK, let me put it simply:

  1. The Last Airbender film sounds like a dismal mess.
  2. I haven't seen it, so my commentary is based more on the reactions I've seen and what I think they mean.
  3. Whenever I do see it, I somehow doubt even if I enjoy it, it'll change much of #2.

So, let us ask, progeek and profan-wise, what the incredibly bad reviews and dismal reception for the Last Airbender film mean for future media endeavors.  This is a big enough flop, that I think it bears analysis.

So let's break this down into things I'm sure about and think are possible, and are unsure about.

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Failure Is A Sign you Tried

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So you failed.  You tried to finish an art project and it didn't work.  You tried to get a job and didn't get it.  I'm sure you've had recent or past failures that you gave it your all for, and it didn't work.

These are the moments to sit back, look, and realize that there is one good thing.

You showed you could make the effort.

Yes, you failed, perhaps big time, perhaps spectacularly.  But here's the thing to remember – no matter what happened you were able to bring the effort to bear.

It may not have been the right effort, it may have been too much or too little, started too late or too early.  But you proved you can MAKE the effort.

It's important to remember these things, especially in our darker moments of self-loathing.  We have to remember that, flaws aside, we can bring our resources and skills, and energies to bear towards a goal.

When we remember that we're capable of effort, it takes the sting off of failure, and reminds us of what we're capable of.

It reminds us of the resources and enthusiasms and abilities we have.  It reminds us of all we did right.

It reminds us that we can do it again.

So next time you think you failed, appreciate the effort you made.  Any mistakes aside, at least you made the effort.

– Steven Savage

Convention Idea: A focus on failure

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The roundup of convention ideas is here.

How to use Photoshop.  How to find an editor.  How to make a portfolio.  Good events at conventions teach us how to do things.

How an author succeeded.  How an artist became famous.  We hear how the successful have achieved their goals when they speak at conventions, when they lecture, when they instruct.

Positivity is all fine and dandy, but let me suggest that, when doing pro-fan events at your convention, you also keep some events to focus on failure.

Yes.  Failure.  What are the ten things not to do to be an author?  What are the five careers that sports fans think make lots of money but don't?  What would professional artists say in a roundtable if asked "what's the dumbest thing you did in your career"?

Having pro-fan events at your con that speak on mistakes, on what to avoid, can actually have a lot of benefits:

  • Done properly – the "I did this wrong, this is why, this is how I fixed it" people can learn how to avoid or fix common mistakes.  Always make sure any panel on failure includes a  how-to-get-over it section.
  • It can defuse dangerous delusions of competence people may have about their idols and successful people.  Knowing how people make mistakes helps people face their own.
  • It makes people able to face their mistakes easier – especially if it's delivered with humor, understanding, and ideas of how to fix mistakes. 
  • It helps people develop sympathy for others who make errors – knowing others fail, acknowledging you fail, let's you accept it in others.
  • It acknowledges that your convention accepts that finding your dream job is hard, and people will view your events for pro-geeks as more realistic and balanced.
  • It gives you new material to work with as opposed to the same-old-same-old.

So go on, embrace failure as a subject at your convention.  Think of the topics you could cover, the laughs people could have, and the different viewpoints you could bring.

A few suggestions:

  • Have professionals speak on their biggest career mistakes.  Especially good in a more casual or roundtable setting.
  • Combine a discussion of the best software for a profession (writing, artist, etc.) with the worst (though you might annoy some people that make the software).  Make it a debate.
  • Have panels on the "X" most common mistakes in "Y" profession; the five worst things artists do, the six biggest mistakes people make getting into video games, etc.
  • Do a roundtable discussion where attendees themselves discuss the mistakes they made.
  • Discuss great historical mistakes relevant to your convention that relate to careers; what's the worst dub in anime (I was on several panels like that), the biggest flub in film releases, the worst-marketed video games, etc.  Make sure lessons learned are clearly called out.

Remember, you want your attendees to be successes in their geeky jobs.  Help them out by introducing them to failure.

– Steven Savage