Outside of my comfort zone

By Dr Lucy Rogers. Posted

I am a firm believer that the magic happens outside of my comfort zone. When HackSpace magazine (thanks, Ben Everard!) asked me over two years ago to write a column for the then-new magazine, I was delighted. And nervous. Most of my writing until then had been translating science into plain English. It had to be right. But a regular column is (well, this one has been) more of a random thought, feeling, or even, shock horror, my opinion.

At school, I veered away from subjects that required opinions and personal interpretations – I never could work out how they were marked – surely my interpretation was correct – even if it wasn’t the same one the teacher had? See also, art appreciation.

So writing about my thoughts in public, even if it was going to be read by the friendly maker community, was daunting.

Who would want to read my ponderings about making? Why would that be of interest? Would it be a page people would skip, before they got to the ‘How to’ pages, or the interviews?

These questions I kept in mind when writing these columns. For my own maker projects, I owe much to those around me who have passed on their knowledge and experience.  

Therefore, in writing, I often tried to pass on something I have learnt that may be of use to someone else. I have been using this column, in a little way, to pay forward some of the help I have received.

I am sure we have all been in the situation where the storyteller starts to repeat themselves. I remember, back in the days of being able to go to the local pub, this would often happen at around half an hour before closing.

New experiences take longer to acquire than writing about them. I feel I have already shared my best stories! There also comes a time when my comfort zone expands, and what was new, scary, and uncomfortable becomes routine. And, for me, when that happens, I know I do not put the effort, care, or commitment in that I used to. Hopefully, the occasional piece of magic happened for you in the process.

But now it is time for me to pass this column on to a fresh new voice. One that can entertain and interest you and maybe help you think in a slightly different way.

So thank you, dear reader, for coming along on my journey – and making it magical.

Happy making!  


http://www.guildofmakers.org/

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