1. Eliot starts off this article by the three basic options for self-improvement, which are fixing your weaknesses, building on strengths, and do both. The first step to fixing a problem or weakness is by acknowledging it. It is important to know our weaknesses, but like Eliot states not push for perfection or well-rounded strengths in everything. While it is important to be aware of your weaknesses and not ignore them, we should push to be overall good at many things, but it could be difficult to turn a weakness into a strength.
Our weaknesses and strengths are also a way we are defined, and could be what we specialize in compared to others. It is what can make us creative or unique. It may be easy to be good at particular areas in school, work, or life; but all around, if we try we could fall below the standards or our strengths may become average while working for our weaknesses. While agreeing with Eliot it is still important to not ignore your weaknesses to only focus on your strengths. This is not being creative, or different. Instead its being consistent, the same, stubborn, or even isolated to new ideas and creations. By acknowledging our weaknesses though, as long as the weakness is not to negative to ourselves, as long as we can take criticism positive or negative in a good way, we can still be creative, productive, successful individuals. Our weaknesses if acknowledged can also lead to our strengths and how we fit in certain roles.
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Eliot states he is not good in teamwork, unorganized, can’t listen, open to other ideas, and hyperactive. This makes him a great business owner, leader, and public speaker. As we find out strengths and weaknesses, our weaknesses can also help us discover more strengths and where we may fit in certain roles in our lives.
I myself, in Media love to create new work hands on, production and postproduction, but preproduction when creating a narrative story, I feel useless. Ever since middle school I have had troubles writing a simple story. I love to work in teams, learn from others, and bring my own set of skills and strengths to them to build off of as I build off theirs. Making my not a writer I find writers to work with and take their stories into production.
As an editor in Video Production, I find myself sitting at a computer for hours and hours, not noticing how late at night or early in the morning it is. While I hate spending too many hours in front of a TV screen or Computer instead of being engaged in the rest of the world, editing video is a obsession. Naturally I became interested in the process, the more I learn he more interested and better I become which makes me unique to others. In some cases I find this obsession to be a weakness or negative after I think how much time I waste in front of a computer sometimes. After reading Eliot’s article though, I can’t agree more to how it also is more of a strength, passion, and proficiency.
9. Putting Your Quirks to Work
As a media production student, I try as much as possible to keep myself busy in the work to get better and improve on each project. I have begun to build up so much work; it’s impossible to stay head above the water. I may have multiple projects to work on, finish one, then another project comes up where I take another year to finish. The pain in this, especially when doing alone of for little or no money at all is I don’t enjoy every project entirely. Some projects may seem interesting at first, then my weaknesses kick in and the project goes down hill from there, and it takes more time and energy to complete.
After reading the Freak Factor though, it’s comforting to know of similar experiences and way to avoid this. Instead of procrastinating or using up more time and energy, work on what interests me the most and uses the most out of my strengths. Instead of letting one activity bring down the quality of my work, work on one where I have the time, energy, strength and interest in to complete an outstanding piece of work. When we enjoy what we are engaged in, no matter how long of a day, little sleep, or energy we have left. If we are interested in it; it’s easier to find the motivation and proficiency needed to complete with high quality.
As a manger these rules I have seen already been in use in the workplace and in school. Knowing each other’s strengths and weakness to build off of for good work will in the end happen if the right approach is made.
In the creative process of my own, I have learned of one of my biggest weaknesses with too much work. Being to busy, to many projects, individual or with a team, I have found that quality lowers. The more work, the less time for each project, and less time equals less quality. However this weakness has also created strength in proficiency when producing creative work. In the fast paced media world we work in today, we all don’t have limitless amounts of time to produce our work, or we get beat. I have found by adapting to the amount of time given to work on certain projects has better prepared me for the future one day, with even more demanding deadlines.
After learning more in depth on audio, music, listening framework, and working with others who strengths are in the area, I have seen how much I have more to learn in that area which I thought to be somewhat of strength. Comparing and contrasting strengths and weaknesses with others also help create a way for teamwork and leadership, which I never realized I have had much of. When working with a friend on certain projects, which I have had experience and strength in, seeing their interest to learn where I may have been years ago, gave me a chance to build a relationship, and teach them in certain ways and how my creative process works towards the project.
In certain areas, there are strengths here, in other areas the same creative process part can be a weakness they’re creating a gray area for my strengths and weaknesses. Finding out where I fit in, and where my attributes fill certain roles has been a learning experience in the creative process, and I only hope to continue with a open mind, and learn more everyday in and out of school.