February 9

You make your work, then your work makes you. It has taken a long time for me to realize that I am just as shaped by my work—and by the self-awareness that it generates—as my work is by me. As you create, you discover things about yourself that were previously obscured. However, we often fail to notice or document those learnings because we are always on to the “next thing.”

How do you respond under pressure? Do you attack or retreat? What does that mean about how you should structure your work and your collaborations? How can you temper your instinctual response?

What happens when your point of view is challenged? Do you see it as a personal attack or a growth opportunity? What does that mean?

Where do your best ideas come from? Is it when you are alone cranking through the work or when you’re with a group discussing possibilities?

As George Bernard Shaw said, “You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” By noticing the patterns, we can better structure our lives and work for future success.

Take stock of what you are learning about yourself through your work.

What patterns do you see in your work that might help you be more effective moving forward? What are you learning about yourself through your work?