This Question Wrecked My Whole Day

Someone recently posed this question to me on my YouTube channel.

daveconrey what do you teach

At first, I was a bit taken back by the question, because if they had just taken the time to look at my large catalog of videos, I think they’d get what it is that I teach… or would they?

Instead of replying right away, I sat with this question because I felt a small existential crisis happening within me.

Amy I doing a good job of letting people know what I’m all about?

Then came the dread of realizing that maybe my message has been diluted a bit, with too many conversations in different directions.

Do I talk about art and design? Yes.

Am I teaching people tips and techniques to be better creative? Yeah.

Do I talk about entrepreneurship and being creatively enterprising? Yup.

Are there also philosophical conversations about mindset, fear, and intestinal fortitude? Yeah, often.

Is it possible that I’m trying to do too much with all these subjects?

Damn dude, what’s with all the questions?

The truth is that all of these things have a through-point and that is teaching. The topics are all within arms reach of each other, but what brings them together, for me, is the teaching and sharing of ideas.

And honestly, I think more people should do that because if I’ve learned anything over the last several years of doing this gig, it’s that teaching and sharing are the fastest way for me to improve my own skill.

Want to become a better designer, artist, photographer, or writer? Teach other people how to design, paint, shoot, or express things.

I became better at making videos (filming, editing, etc.) because I was teaching, and when people struggled with my teaching technique, I learned how to be better at that.

I’ve become a more confident designer and artist because, after so many years of showing people how to make things, I’ve honed my craft through trial and error.

If you make things, and you know how to make them even a little bit better than someone who is just starting, then go teach them. I promise it will make you be better at that thing.

In the meantime, I’ll be over here working on the clarity of my content.