19. Mentorship
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\\n\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\tWelcome to Episode 19 of Navigating the Fustercluck\\u2014a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the agonizingly wonderful world of creativity.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and whether you work in advertising, design, gaming, fine art, commercial art, content creation, whatever it may be, we\\u2019re here to talk about mentorship.Let\\u2019s start with this:If You Cannot See Where You Are Going, Ask Someone Who Has Been There Before. \\u2013 J Loren NorrisOver the course of my life, I\\u2019ve been fortune to have many mentors, some of whom I hope to talk about today. So, let\\u2019s talk about how being mentored, and how mentoring others can help everyone involved.First, a thought from 2-Time British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli:The Greatest Good You Can Do for Another is Not Just Share Your Riches but to Reveal to Him His Own. During interviews or while on various panels, often I\\u2019ve been asked, What in your career are you most proud of? Well, it\\u2019s not any individual awards or any one thing, period. It\\u2019s when people who I once worked with tell me that part of their success is thanks to what they gained by working together. It\\u2019s the best. The absolute best. To see great people move onward & upward, often surpassing what I\\u2019ve done, is awesome. Humbling. It makes me feel like I\\u2019m part of something bigger than myself.As my father taught me: We\\u2019re all in this together. When you see your life as a team sport, you\\u2019ll celebrate the accomplishments of others.I\\u2019m Happy for Them, But Not Proud of Them.Does that sound strange? Maybe this is a misguided pet peeve of mine but I never tell people how proud I am of them. I\\u2019m not their father. However, I do tell them how happy I am for them. Is that weird? I feel strongly about it yet can\\u2019t explain exactly why. Perhaps \\u201cproudly\\u201d indicates that I\\u2019m taking credit for their accomplishments. Honestly, am I off-base? I\\u2019d love your thoughts. Feel free to reach out on Twitter @NavigatingF.Putting Together Your Board of DirectorsThere\\u2019s an awfully lot to know in this life. Having one mentor probably won\\u2019t cover it all. Pick and choose people who you respect and trust. In return, respect their time and efforts, so they can trust you. People are busy. You owe it to them not to waste their time. Be prepared with your questions. If it helps, even write them down. Be polite. Ask them what works best for them. And hold on to the good ones! Having your own little Board of Directors can be quite helpful and fruitful with new knowledge, contacts and even friendship.Reverse MentoringBefore going on, let\\u2019s touch on something that\\u2019s a new or newer wrinkle in mentorship. Reverse mentoring. I love this and have personally benefitted from it.It\\u2019s Hard to Keep Up on ThingsI\\u2019m not one of those people convinced that the greatest music ever written and recorded and ever will be written and recorded comes from my formative years. Seems highly unlikely and irrelevant. Although Right Said Fred\\u2019s, Too Sexy for My Shirt song, is surely something Mozart would have envied, if he\\u2019d been so honored to live long enough to hear it. That said, at some point in your life it becomes harder and harder to keep up on the new stuff. That\\u2019s why I ask people younger than myself for their suggestions and favorites. A lot of it isn\\u2019t to my tastes, but some of it is awesome. And all of it expands my understanding of what and why people are moved to listen to it.Also, for a guy my age, when it comes to technology, I\\u2019m fairly advanced. But I ain\\u2019t no digital native. And I don\\u2019t pretend to be. Fortunately, working in a creative industry, there are plenty of younger folks happy to share their knowledge. Thank you! I will never know as much as you, and we may not agree on all things technology, but at least we can all agree that the word \\u201cdongle\\u201d is worth chuckling over like we\\u2019re all 12-year-olds once again.'