Giving Yourself an "A"
You’ve just found out we’ve been enrolled in a top-secret class in your creative field for a whole year. You will be discreetly observed by a panel of experts, peers, and luminaries. Your classmates are like you and there is no curve. 1/3 will receive an “A”, 1/3 a “B” and 1/3 a “C.” Students who get an A will be whisked off to the best opportunities.
Class starts tomorrow.
Nice! It will be great to know where I stand… Wait…
Is there a syllabus? How will I know what is valuable to the teachers?
How can I work under this much pressure?
ARE THERE DUE DATES? CAN I BUY A HOMEWORK EATING DOG SPECIALIST?
Now I’m anxious. I will fail on purpose, in protest of this ridiculous idea. I hate your newsletter, Jacob.
★ Become a Paid Subscriber ★
An obvious spot to ask you to become a supporter of Drawing a Blank. Annoy them and then ask them to be a free of paid subscriber? A Classic diabolical double-move. I’d love your support to make more annoying posts.
Pressure on Thyself
Working mostly alone in a creative field where measures of success are fleeting and opportunities for rejection are plenty, leaves us wondering if we’re doing enough to “pass the class.” In the absence of a teacher, we gravitate to signs that might hint at what grade we might be earning.
The easiest is to understand are numbers. Numbers can be counted. How many Instagram followers do I have? How many Substack subscribers do I have? Did my book earn out? How big was my advance? How many prints did I sell last month? How many words did I write? Did I draw everyday?
