SCABs

Liberty bell – By @decadokhan

Tomasz Wojcik

By Tomasz Wojcik

 

Liberty bell

Last week, A few fellow SCA students asked me how it feels like to be working alone.

To answer these questions, I will give a bit of thought and reflection on the matter. For starters, let’s try discarding a notion that a creative output is at best as a collaborative endeavour. New research1 suggests some surprising insights. It appears that creative work that was made by an individual is perceived as one that feels of a better quality than a creative effort made by two or three people. To state the obvious, you working on your own has its merits. Like pushing your own vision forward, something that is uniquely yours and true to how you see the world. No longer are you obliged to look at your partner and negotiate meaning with them. It is all you. On the other hand, objective evaluation on the work could suffer. You can’t be a performer and a critic simultaneously.

Having said that, you are free to follow your heart when working solo. You are at liberty to follow your passion and interests. You turn to things that you really dig. Don’t get me wrong, it won’t make your output suddenly better but it’s a starting point to expressing your true self. I have yet to go to that place. A magical place where no one will tell you to do otherwise. Where peer pressure is not an issue. You and your kinky niche thing. The more you delve into it, the more fun you will be have and the work you do will be better. This is easier to achieve when you focus on what you really want. When you can find a really good insight. It might involve soul searching, self-reflection or anything that works to your advantage. Knowing thyself is something that you do solo, however annoying, awkward or tiring it may be. It is indeed a bizarre state to be in. Being immune but vulnerable at the same time.  And yet experiencing all that is vital for discovering new grounds. No one said it would be easy.  My suggestion to you all – it is still worth a try.

1 When multiple creators are worse than one: The bias toward single authors in the evaluation of art.

Smith, Rosanna K.; Newman, George E.

Related SCABs

Go back

Student Application

  • Fill out the Application Form below to be a part of our next Award-Winning intake.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
image