Experiments

26 May, 2020

We live at a moment in time in which everything we do, everything put out in public must succeed the instant it appears. If not, it’s an abject failure and not worth anyone’s time. Far too many interesting and promising projects have been abandoned because they didn’t succeed from moment one, because they weren’t an instant hit.

Sadly, there’s no room today for something that needs time to find an audience. There’s no room for experimenting in public.

It shouldn’t be that way.

Experiments are essential. And not just in science. No matter what you’re doing, experiments give you the leeway to try something new. They offer an outlet to test an idea or a concept. They help you learn what works and what doesn’t.

In many ways, Buckminster Fuller’s philosophy have influenced not just my thinking but my approach to life. I view my life as an experiment — definitely not as grand as Fuller’s drive to discover what a single individual could contribute to changing the world and benefiting all humanity but an experiment nonetheless.

Take, for example, this blog. In the grander scheme of the world, it’s hardly a blip. But for me, it was (and is) a big step. Even though I’ve been writing professionally for the better part of 25 years, I still lack some confidence in my abilities. That lack of confidence makes me wary of putting some of my writing, especially my more personal work, out there. I know that what I’ve written has touched a few of the fives of people who read this space. For me, that’s more important than have a wider base of readers who might not be engaged.

I don’t see why you can’t perform your experiments in public. Doing that offers a lot of transparency into what you’re doing. Admittedly, you’ll have to endure a number of slings and arrows while experimenting. No matter what you say, those slings and arrows will sting. They will hurt. You need to find a way to go past all that.

What others say shouldn’t stop you from experimenting. What you come up with might not change the world, but it could make your little portion of the world better. If nothing else, experimenting will help you grow. It will help make you a better person, even in just a small way.

Scott Nesbitt