The Self-Education of a Free-Spirited, Not-Quite-Novice Filmmaker : PART ONE

How'd you like all those hyphens, eh? Let's call it a creative choice.

As a only child, I've been an observer of human behavior and interaction all my life. Such a self-imposed role has a way of leading one to believe themselves more knowledgeable than those who live through the scenarios being observed. Debatable, sure, but I believe my continued education cannot contain simply absorbed information; I must also digest the concepts and put it back out into the world. Any of my professors would tell you that I was always very engaged in class discussions, with no shortage of opinions and unsolicited advice. With no classroom currently available to me, however, I've decided to record my thoughts in this blog based on certain recommended TED Talks.

An article in the Business Insider claimed these 10 TED Talks are worth more than an MBA. Seeing as I love listening to TED Talks and desperately want to pursue my graduate degree, I figured what do I have to loose? Also, while the content I'm reflecting on is geared towards those seeking a Masters in Business Administration and I am simply a Filmmaker seeking a Masters... of something... eventually... I fully intend to own and run my own studio during my lifetime, so I figure the free online education should supplement my aspirations nicely.

To keep a homework-like structure, I'll respond to each video as I see them. Please assume that I will be writing as if you, the reader, have already watched the video.


1) Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve

As I read over this info-graphic, I begin to realize in what ways I have a fixed mindset. Time to embrace change! Graphic by Nigel Holmes, picture courtesy of innovationnu.wordpress.com

I know this lesson all too well, though thinking back to my childhood and adolescence, even now, I find it difficult to employ. My mother is a driven and academically-inclined woman who was unfortunately plagued with unsatisfactory, often heartbreaking, romantic relationships. After her fiancé died, we moved to the suburbs and I began middle school. I had struggled in my "Gifted and Talented" classes in elementary school, mostly because I was also dealing with my parents' divorce and my mother's soon-to-be husband. But after we moved, I decided I could not allow my school performance to be another burden on my mother. So, I made the effort. I became an honor roll student, even with the challenge of having all of my classes being "GT". Never straight A's, but always honors or advanced classes, and for the first time, I could say, "I'm doing well in school." But my mother never seemed satisfied with my progress, and so I gave up. My freshman year of high school, I tried to take all honors courses, but when I got a C in history, and a D in Biology, I decided it was too hard. I've always thrived on challenges, but this was the first time I did not rise to it. I took a normal Chemistry class my sophomore year, and found myself so bored that I both tutored the juniors in the class and got a C+ because I had no need to do the homework to pass the tests. I graduated with a 2.7 GPA and a ton of extracurricular activities because, quite frankly, I needed the encouragement they provided. I could see the results of my efforts in band and theater, and was more eager to improve when others relied on me.

Now, I'm 34 years old in a fantastic marriage where my partner supports me and encourages me and believes that I can make the giant leap from my old occupation as a Massage Therapist to my lingering and recently rediscovered passion for storytelling as a Filmmaker. He is my life line in ways that I'm not sure are healthy, but that's my problem to solve, not his. And he keeps me going, and it is imperative that I keep going. I'm just not sure I fully believe I can change. It's easy to believe that money is more important than emotional/spiritual fulfillment. It's hard to believe that what you do is of value when no one values it (it doesn't pay well or you receive no acknowledgement for your contribution) and no sees you as being knowledgeable ('cause anyone can do it, right?) and all employers judge you on your past work (in a visual medium, you need something that looks good, even if you aren't responsible for what looks bad). So, while I adore the idea that we are teaching kids to improve - and there is another fantastic TED Talk about being a champion for struggling students - and I would love to be that person for my children, sadly, my current situation, mental state, physical state, gives me too much to fight against to believe anything will change. Can it change? Sure, and I sincerely hope it will. But I think I will always feel "behind" a lot of my intelligent friends (or currently thriving friends) because of my childhood burdens and my unfortunate awareness of them (you can overcome a lot if you don't have to face the reality at the time). I've even downloaded several selections from classic literature that I have never read because I could listen in class and glean all I needed to pass. And grades, the judgement of others, was all that ever seemed to matter to the people that were important to me. Now, I hope that I can find fulfillment in my efforts, even if I'm not the best. But the truth is, while I've learned to be my own best friend, I am naturally my own worst critic, and that voice is much louder. And I still want to be the best, which is frustrating, because that will never happen, even if I'm successful. So... here's to being better!


2) Sam Richards: A Radical Experiment in Empathy

For those of you who know and love Star Trek, you'll appreciate how often this situation comes up. Picture courtesy of www.cultureofempathy.com

I had to take a Facebook break after this one. The issue that Mr. Richards asks you to empathize with is easy for me (my mother knew I was an empath at the tender age of 3 when she saw me cry at a funeral on television without knowing what it was; I could just see that they were sad, and it made me sad for them), but the subject matter always gets me riled up. Especially since this past summer I took a World Geography class, which helped to further inform me of "The Perils of Petrocracy" - a clever play on words, but not by me. Read the article, please. It's inspiring and heartbreaking and will make you rethink that gas-guzzling truck-with-hips.

Anyway, I understand what he's trying to say. He's saying that if we can empathize with what we could say is commonly accepted as "the enemy", then finding empathy in smaller annoyances or wrong-doing should be within our grasp. And yet, so often people do not - or at least their actions do not express their empathy. Admittedly, I'm more interested in Psychology than Sociology, but still, I see the validity of his lesson. As it relates to how this lesson would apply to an MBA, I'm quite sure you have to relate to your market or employees if ever you are to do business with them. Who among us would buy from a grocer who did not have sympathy for those who go hungry?

Unfortunately, I believe that the capability of empathy is declining in the United States due to the questionable nature of information and its sources. If there was a single person who could not sympathize with the Iraqi's position, it probably stemmed from the idea that something Mr. Richards said was false or inaccurate. Such an accusation would be enough to justify not feeling empathy because the situation to feel empathy for is fictional. This delusional cycle, and I call it delusional because it is a belief that relies on suspicion and not fact, is ammunition against the efforts of peace and conflict resolution, whether locally, nationally, or globally. Place blame where you may - on the media, on our community leaders, on our collective declining education, or our growing paranoia of anything "new" - but the truth is, ultimately confirming information, digesting it, and expressing empathy for others rests squarely on the shoulders of each individual. Taking personal responsibility for one's beliefs, reactions, and actions is at the core of being a human, conscious adult, and evidence of anything less than that shows us to be incompetent, and worse, barbaric.

Interestingly enough, this is why I had to stop being a Massage Therapist. Giving of my self, my compassion to those who did not extend that same compassion to themselves chipped away at my ability to care for people. It's hard to advocate for people's well-being when they couldn't care less about their well-being, vying instead for a quick fix that wasn't in pill form but still acted like a pill. But that's another story for another day.


3) Angela Lee Duckworth: The Key to Success? Grit.

A fantastic meme that captures the essence of Duckworth's TED Talk. Photo courtesy of the facebook account of the late Terry Pratchett.

 Well, that was delightful. A short but effective story that echoes the findings of Carol Dweck, who is pioneering the "Growth Mindset" for education. I'll admit, part of what I enjoyed was that it was short, focused, and very well thought-out. I even watched it twice, I enjoyed it so much. But, to the subject matter...

I sooooo identify with this. Unfortunately, I was the person with talent who tended to give up once they were given praise for how quickly they learn. It's only been as an adult who changed ALL of her childhood plans that I found myself setting goals for myself and challenged myself to meet them. In high school, I thought I was destined to be a law enforcement officer, but after starting a co-op, it no longer appealed to me (I no longer felt the need to be accepted into the "boys club" which is most police forces). My first year of college was a joke and found little value in the lessons I was paying for, so I worked entry-level positions for a year before realizing that I would surely drown without a skill that demanded a better wage. The plan to become a massage therapist was actually always a long-term goal that included: becoming financially independent, staying physically active, and making enough money where I could pay my way through college when the time was right. And I did. After the struggle of becoming financially independent, making decent money, I took two community college courses to see if I would be able to pass classes again after an eight-year hiatus. Do you know what I found? A complete 180. I was passionate, I was engaged, and I didn't just do my homework; I did the equivalent of TED Talks with every assignment. Why? Because I was finally ready to continue growing; I was ready for change. Now, so many things have changed (I'm 8 credits away from receiving my B.F.A. in Film & Video Production). Not all of them will be staying the same, so I long for a moment to "get settled" before moving on.

As for how it relates to an MBA, I imagine being able to identify the capacity for "grit" in yourself and others is essential for hiring and maintaining a productive work environment. It's the work ethic that older generations continually say they do not see in younger generations and the quality in young adults that is present but hard to find when so many have been coddled or scolded instead of encouraged. As a weird afterthought, it occurs to me that these lessons could also apply to being a parent, and I fully intend to encourage a "growth" mindset for my children. May they suffer only enough to grow and learn and become active, engaged, and successful human beings.

Well, this is the end of PART ONE. With 10 TED Talks to watch, I'd like to pace myself, and you, dear readers, with all of this lovely reflection. But let me finish with these questions for you:
1) What was your reaction to these videos?
2) Could you identify with the concepts? Why or why not?
3) How is this relevant to Business Administration or Entrepreneurship?
Leave your comments below! As Liz Gilbert would say, "Let's keep the conversation going!"

Cheers,
*~K~*