The "I can do better" phallasy
(misspelling intentional, unlike the misspellings that will come after this text)
It happens in every field. You see someone terrible who is a professional in a field that you do as a hobby, and you think "I'm better than this person, maybe I should be a professional."
No, you should not.
The reason that terrible person is a pro is because they once said the same thing. Don't be that person. If you want to be a pro, practice, work on what you do until you feel you're good enough that people will pay you to do it, and not be disappointed. Keep going until when people are disappointed, you don't blow them off as "Just not getting it." That's the bullshit way, and it's bringing down your favorite hobby.
Instead, accept that the person you are viewing should not be a professional, find someone who you think SHOULD be a professional and emulate them.
This came from a conversation with Anita about Bellydancers and about Writers. Anita is a professional Bellydancer. I am not a professional Writer, no matter Stephanie Meyers and Lauerll K Hamiltons are out there. I will not become a pro unless I actually put some work in.
Jim Butcher is the opposite of this effect. I read his short story which he couldn't get published and didn't feel is worthy of publication even now, and I think "If That's his unpublishable crap, I better not ever try to publish!" This is probably an equal amount of bullshit as I'm better than this person, maybe I should be a professional." but ti's much harder for me to deal with.
It happens in every field. You see someone terrible who is a professional in a field that you do as a hobby, and you think "I'm better than this person, maybe I should be a professional."
No, you should not.
The reason that terrible person is a pro is because they once said the same thing. Don't be that person. If you want to be a pro, practice, work on what you do until you feel you're good enough that people will pay you to do it, and not be disappointed. Keep going until when people are disappointed, you don't blow them off as "Just not getting it." That's the bullshit way, and it's bringing down your favorite hobby.
Instead, accept that the person you are viewing should not be a professional, find someone who you think SHOULD be a professional and emulate them.
This came from a conversation with Anita about Bellydancers and about Writers. Anita is a professional Bellydancer. I am not a professional Writer, no matter Stephanie Meyers and Lauerll K Hamiltons are out there. I will not become a pro unless I actually put some work in.
Jim Butcher is the opposite of this effect. I read his short story which he couldn't get published and didn't feel is worthy of publication even now, and I think "If That's his unpublishable crap, I better not ever try to publish!" This is probably an equal amount of bullshit as I'm better than this person, maybe I should be a professional." but ti's much harder for me to deal with.