Critics

Under New Management

Under New Management

Garth Beyer

Teddywedgers under new managementTeddywedgers, a fantastic and rich-in-history corner-place to grab a pasty in Madison has signs up stating it will be under new management when it reopens. A colleague and mentor of mine, Doug Moe, wrote about Raymond Johnson and his journey to owning Teddywedgers. To this day, I have never heard a single complaint from anyone who bought a pasty from Johnson or any past owners for that matter.

So, I wonder why there is a need to state the establishment will be under new management?

Must people worry now that they will get less of an experience than previously? Will they be searching for the slight changes and critiquing them harshly?

For those who never went to Teddywedgers, was there a reason it needed new management? That’s sort of a turn-off, isn’t it?

Having a sign that says “under new management” is like a really poorly written essay or speech where you begin by telling people what you’re going to write or talk about and then you write and talk about what you just said you were going to write and talk about. Why not just write about it? Skip the unnecessary introduction, it makes your full fledged points seem redundant.

Let new management take place behind-the-scenes and have the new experiences they bring with them be for the customers to experience unexpectedly.

 

Stay Positive & It’s Better To Be Pleasantly Surprised Than To Simply Have Expectations Met     (…or not met)

Photo credit (apologies this is not a photo with the new management signs up, if I walk by Teddwedgers again in the new week or so, I'll snap a picture and update this post)

You Never Know Where Your Impact Will Occur

Garth Beyer

“I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.” – George Carlin

Carlin is a perfect example of one who self-evaluates and redirects purpose. In his story, which I’ve chosen not to write better, Joe Sergi shares how Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words became the cornerstone case for regulating indecent speech.

It all began when a radio station aired his Seven Dirty Words comedy bit and one man called the FCC to complain because the man’s son heard the vulgar language.

Carlin went from nice suit and tie, safe (and by safe, I mean most of the time awful) jokes to a frustrated, yet intelligent spit-show of an average Joe who found stories about crossing lines to be well-liked by the audience. Through his personal transition, he sparked discussions about the First Amendment – something he didn’t need to mention in his standup sessions, but were a result of them.

I mention Carlin because he didn’t follow a path, he made one. He set out to have people realize their own stupidity and in doing so, in constantly redirecting his comedy, his passion, his words, he changed everything about the FCC, the First Amendment, and most importantly, who people can look up to. If we could ask Carlin if he knew where he would make an impact, he would say the where didn’t matter to him, all that mattered was he would make an impact.

At heart, Carlin was a true critic. A heroic one.

 

Stay Positive & We Need More Good Critics

 

 

A Decrease In Critics

Garth Beyer

Let me note real quick, there’s a heavy difference between a critic and a hyena. The critic has lived life to understand all aspects of a subject. The hyena just yelps at everything until the creator backs away.

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Criticism used to be about showing that someone is wrong. Now, because everyone can be right, criticism is about guiding a person to become even more right – and to show others that they are right. This is tough work for the critic, extremely tough. The critic takes partial responsibility in making something work – so the critic sees it as this – if they don’t fully believe in the idea, they don’t criticize it.

In more simple terms. To critique means to discover a way to improve. Creators gather so much input before they launch products that it takes extreme talent to come up with a successful idea for improvement. Thus, there has been a serious decrease in those willing to critique any piece of work.

The reason to understand what a critic is and does is so you don’t confuse hyenas with critics. When creators do that, well, that’s when they get in trouble and the hyenas fill their stomachs.

 

Stay Positive & Keep Searching, There’s A Critic In The Group Of Hyenas

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit

Breaking The Threshold

Garth Beyer

Many believe that if they deliver enough work, put in enough hours, or make enough sales calls that they will break the threshold and become a star. This is commonly referred to as Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of practice theory: you are considered a true professional when you have put in 10,000 hours of your passion. That’s when you truly break through.

I would like to propose a different concept. It’s more often than not that the number of critics you have equally relates to your degree of success, of breaking the threshold.

Sometimes no news is good news, but in the realm of people talking about your art, just that people are talking about it benefits you. This includes the critics. It includes the complainers. It includes the hasslers.

You don’t break the threshold, your critics do.

 

Stay Positive & Go Get Some Critics

Garth E. Beyer

How To Cope With Criticism

Garth Beyer

At one of my current occupations, I get to give kids money to go to college. It’s a pretty enjoyable time when I look at it like that. However, part of what I do is handle hundreds of phone calls and emails a week, call it customer service if you will.

Of course, those contacting me are doing so because of a problem they have, whether it’s from a lack of information, understanding, or what it sometimes feels like, they just want to blow up on someone.

This means I’m using a special kind emotional labor from day-to-day. I have to disassociate my personal feelings with every interaction while still keeping an open heart and willingness to help.

In other words, I continuously work on not taking anything personally.

To put it in more perspective, I seldom get a call to tell me I’ve done a good job or get an email just to tell me, “Thanks for all your work, we really appreciate it.” Occasionally I get a thank you letter from a student, maybe two a year on average.

I’m human, but even if I wasn’t, doing what I do without any pat on the back or thanks could still bring me to resent my work. Of course, it doesn’t. And for one simple reason.

Each day I remind myself that while I may receive 30 calls in one day, there are 90,000 students and 200,000 family members of students who don’t call, that things are going smoothly for, that have no problems. 30/290,000 is a pretty good ratio, wouldn’t you say?

Another current occupation (in which I am most artistic) is Writer. The majority of the time when I produce an article, when I get published, when I deliver, I get criticized. Similar to my work as a Grants Specialist, those who agree, who understand, who have been given the intended message, rarely leave feedback.

It’s not often people read to connect, but to learn and understand. I don’t see it, but there are hundreds (hopefully thousands?) of people nodding their heads in agreement and understanding while reading my work.

The few people who I hear from are those who disagree, who have a different opinion (that they would rather share in relation to my article rather than doing the hard work of writing one themselves), and yes, also those who just feel like trolling.

I once told a friend that if there was a point to complaining, they would call them com points, but they don’t. However, here is a point. (two actually)

We are criticized for two reasons. One, to broaden our minds, to self-evaluate, and to be aware of possible mistakes. In other words, to learn. Two (and most important), to be given a ratio. Not having a ratio doesn’t mean you’re doing everything right, it means you’re doing something seriously wrong.

Counting the number of critics you have is meant to remind you of all those who aren’t. I’ve never been one for math, but this is one ratio that makes it easy to cope with criticism.

 

Stay Positive & No Critics Usually Means No Art (and that’s on you, not them)

Garth E. Beyer