Got my first of two sticks for what will be a COVID-19 vaccine today. A little pain in the arm that ultimately makes us better, stronger, and more resilient.

Like feedback.

It’s amazing how many of us resist feedback.
It’s personal.
It’s dream-crushing. You’re going to make me slay all of my darlings.
It’s a brutal prick in the skin.
And it’s a shot in the arm.

Feedback makes you better. Especially the right feedback.
Hearing about your wonderful work from your mother and your Aunt Edna isn’t really that helpful. It’s a placebo. Feedback from amateurs is also a sugar pill. It’s easy to impress an amateur.

Show your work to those who know something of your vocational difficulties. Get feedback from the smartest, most professional, and most talented and successful people in your field you can access.

Let them critique your swing.
Let them edit your work.
Let them tell you the darlings to kill. Good feedback hurts a little at first. But like this vaccine - it will make everything better.