Spinoff - "do all of that but remain yourself"

[hengest]

Know when to separate from the pack and make your own mark. “Inner circles” are good for such knowledge acquisition but can ultimately end up promoting circular thought. That also applies to “schools of thought.” Learn them. Assess them. Do all of that but remain yourself. Maintain your own philosophy as such schools typically tend to calcify design thought and thus inspire pro-competition attitudes. They fast become echo chambers of the market tending towards only minor changes in design trajectories.

"Do all of that but remain yourself." Good advice for design and good advice in many situations, I think.  

This sounds trivially true but is worth saying because it is also counter-intuitive.  These days we expect to have to become someone else to meet any new group of people or to enter any hobby.  This is a niche hobby at present, but there are a lot of implicit rules that you get a feel for once you start to immerse yourself in the available product.

When I work on my (very limited) materials, I have enough difficulty pleasing myself and whittling away anything I don't want.  I would not be able to do anything at all if I were trying also to please some kind of rulebook about how to do things.  Now, whatever is really new in my work (probably not much) is not going even to be visible if I just pile material onto it that I barely reskinned from another setting or system.  

[Thargym The Black]

These "Spinoffs" threads are an awesome idea.

Take a page from Ricky Nelson,

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well

You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself

Please yourself, if anyone else likes it that is just a bonus, if you don't like it nothing else matters.

[hengest]

Apr 29, 2021 18:25:51 GMT -5 Thargym The Black said:

These "Spinoffs" threads are an awesome idea.

Take a page from Ricky Nelson,

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well

You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself

Please yourself, if anyone else likes it that is just a bonus, if you don't like it nothing else matters.

Yeah, I would consider a spinoff thread for other stuff too. Text from books or supplements, interviews with designers, whatever.  A related idea is the "mine this poem" (for gaming ideas) thread here (full disclosure, I started it).

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Apr 29, 2021 19:13:19 GMT -5 hengest said:

Apr 29, 2021 18:25:51 GMT -5 Thargym The Black said:

These "Spinoffs" threads are an awesome idea.

Take a page from Ricky Nelson,

Please yourself, if anyone else likes it that is just a bonus, if you don't like it nothing else matters.

Yeah, I would consider a spinoff thread for other stuff too. Text from books or supplements, interviews with designers, whatever.  A related idea is the "mine this poem" (for gaming ideas) thread here (full disclosure, I started it).

Dozens of spinoffs please!  Over the next few years, that is. Not asking for you to do them today.  I may come up with some of my own. He is right these are an awesome idea.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Apr 29, 2021 16:22:44 GMT -5 hengest said:

Know when to separate from the pack and make your own mark. “Inner circles” are good for such knowledge acquisition but can ultimately end up promoting circular thought. That also applies to “schools of thought.” Learn them. Assess them. Do all of that but remain yourself. Maintain your own philosophy as such schools typically tend to calcify design thought and thus inspire pro-competition attitudes. They fast become echo chambers of the market tending towards only minor changes in design trajectories.

I would also say that "Inner circles" could be good, if they are large and if they do a lot of non-critical unedited brainstorming. Followed by each taking the results of the brainstorming session and see where it leads each of you individually. I think that could short-circuit the tendency towards circular thought and eliminate the echo chamber effect.

In this case defining "Inner circle" as active individualistic creators, instead of yes man, brown-nosing, sycophants.

For example, I consider the entire membership of the forum to be the Inner Circle. Those who register become members of the Inner Circle of the forum. Those who volunteer to contribute become members of the Inner Circle of the fanzine project. 

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Apr 29, 2021 16:22:44 GMT -5 hengest said:

Know when to separate from the pack and make your own mark. “Inner circles” are good for such knowledge acquisition but can ultimately end up promoting circular thought. That also applies to “schools of thought.” Learn them. Assess them. Do all of that but remain yourself. Maintain your own philosophy as such schools typically tend to calcify design thought and thus inspire pro-competition attitudes. They fast become echo chambers of the market tending towards only minor changes in design trajectories.

In order to avoid the noted problems, say to yourself, "Self, I will not be a naysayer throwing cold water on other peoples ideas. I will not be the reason someone decides to give up their dreams. I will not be the reason someone gets discouraged and quits. I will not be a gatekeeper of thought and creativity."

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Apr 29, 2021 16:22:44 GMT -5 hengest said:

Know when to separate from the pack and make your own mark. “Inner circles” are good for such knowledge acquisition but can ultimately end up promoting circular thought. That also applies to “schools of thought.” Learn them. Assess them. Do all of that but remain yourself. Maintain your own philosophy as such schools typically tend to calcify design thought and thus inspire pro-competition attitudes. They fast become echo chambers of the market tending towards only minor changes in design trajectories.

"Do all of that but remain yourself." Good advice for design and good advice in many situations, I think.  

This sounds trivially true but is worth saying because it is also counter-intuitive.  These days we expect to have to become someone else to meet any new group of people or to enter any hobby.  This is a niche hobby at present, but there are a lot of implicit rules that you get a feel for once you start to immerse yourself in the available product.

When I work on my (very limited) materials, I have enough difficulty pleasing myself and whittling away anything I don't want.  I would not be able to do anything at all if I were trying also to please some kind of rulebook about how to do things.  Now, whatever is really new in my work (probably not much) is not going even to be visible if I just pile material onto it that I barely reskinned from another setting or system.  

Going back to the OP again, I would say that I very much do not want this place to be an echo chamber. I want it to be a creative melting pot and a place for brainstorming. That is one reason the place has a little bit of everything and sprawls so much. From Arduin to Traveller and everything in between and more.