Don’t Drop My Baby
Seeking feedback on creative work feels like entrusting someone with your baby for the first time. Learning to accept and act on feedback is a skill that requires humility and a mindset shift, treating work as always in progress. Rich takes you through the benefits of feedback
It was the middle of COVID.
It was cold outside.
I handed my baby girl over to someone else for the first time.
Don’t fucking drop her.
This is how it feels to ask someone for feedback on creative work.
I’m getting better at it—slowly.
I recorded my Texture in Procreate class 3 times.
Why?
Because my wife watched it and told me it could be more.
I reworked it.
I re-filmed it.
And then I watched it.
This time I had feedback.
I was able to separate my work from me personally—big breakthrough.
I reworked it.
I re-filmed it.
I watched it.
My wife watched it.
So much better. Much more valuable.
Still not perfect—it never will be—but it was shippable.
So we shipped.
It got a Staff Pick from Skillshare.
150+ students have enrolled.
There are already amazing reviews.
Asking for feedback—and then receiving it—is a skill. It takes a mindset shift.
You can learn it.
I’ve found that it’s easiest if I treat what I’m creating as unfinished. Because when I’m finished creating something I want to move on to the next thing.
When less-mature-me was at the end of my creation process all I wanted was praise. And if I didn't get that praise? This is what went through my mind, “Well, fuck you. You’re stupid. You don’t get it. It’s done. I’m not changing a damn thing.”
When I treat something as unfinished, or as a work in progress, it feels like I don’t need to go back and redo anything. It feels like it’s part of the journey of doing.
Know what else helps? Being humble. Admitting I don’t know it all and that I don’t always have the best perspective.
When I’m in the maze of creating I often can’t see the big picture. I’m focused on a single part. There may be other angles I can’t see. Or things I haven’t considered. Or things I’ve forgotten about. I also have the curse of knowledge—I don’t know what it’s like to not know what I know. So, when I’m humble and listen to what others have to say, it’s far easier on my fragile soul. I see it as them having my back, rather than me defending my choices in the maze.
I wasn’t always like this.
The first few times my wife gave me feedback on my early course curriculums I would shut down. It felt like my loving wife was attacking me. I felt like she didn’t get me. I hadn’t learned how to separate myself from my work.
And then there was young-and-proud-me doing work for clients and superiors. Oh boy. I must have been hell to deal with. I actually didn’t like client work because of the feedback I’d have to receive—from clients, from bosses, from colleagues. I hated feedback. I hated redoing my “perfect” work. I hated being wrong. I didn’t know how to communicate. I didn’t know how to collaborate. I didn’t know how to be humble. I didn’t know we were on the same team working on something together. I didn’t realise that this was actually their baby.
When I’m doing paid work now, I ask for feedback often, especially early on. I also send “finished” work for approval and feedback when I know it’s 80% complete. If they’re happy with the 80% version then I can wow them with the 100% version. If they’re not happy then I can change direction and make changes without spending 80% of my time on the last 20% unnecessarily. Of course I give my professional opinion too.
Last week I asked 7 friends to give me feedback on my first draft of The Beginner’s Guide to NFTs. It’s an eBook I’ll be putting up for sale soon. Interested? Sign up here. It’s the first time I’ve gone this wide with the feedback I’m asking for.
The feedback I’ve received so far has been amazing.
Not all of it has been, “Rich! You’re God’s gift to the world!”
The feedback has been truly helpful.
It’s been eye-opening.
It’s given me ideas on how to structure additional content.
It’s reminded me of important aspects of teaching and writing.
It’s also clarified what I’m not trying to achieve with the guide.
Today I’ve written draft number 2 of this guide.
I see everything as a version that can be iterated on. I even see myself as something that can and does and needs to change.
Even when I publish something—when I tell the world about it—I see it as something that can be iterated on. And so, I welcome feedback.
Apple does this all the time. Once they’ve done internal testing and feedback, they release it. They know there’s going to be bugs. Heck, I bet they ship stuff knowing exactly what some of the bugs are. Then they get a whole bunch of the world to test their new thing out. And a “small” amount of them give feedback.
Feedback should never make us feel ashamed or embarrassed or stupid. It should encourage us and teach us and help us make something better. So that we can change the world.
Do you give your babies to other people for feedback?
Or do you hold them close?
What have I been up to?
I’ve been writing The Beginner’s Guide to NFTs.
I’ve been promoting my Texture in Procreate class.
I got my highest views on a TikTok post this week—2000+ views!
I’ve been working on curriculum for Avaissance mentorship program—I’m a mentor.
I’m dropping a free-to-collect NFT on Remx on 30 May! If you collect one you unlock an exclusive abstract art course; the ability to purchase an exclusive hoodie and art print; and you’ll get sent 2 MATIC (a cryptocurrency).
❤️ Big loves and hugs!
– Rich