This is a guest post by Dan Johnson of Right Brain Rockstar.
If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. ~ Unknown
But ‘well’ is such a subjective term. How do we know how well we need to do things? We may strive for expertise, but how do we know when we have achieved it? Do we need someone to give us a certificate or a medal before we can consider ourselves an expert? And once we achieve ‘expert status’, does that mean there’s nothing more to learn?
First things first – What is an Expert?
The Oxford dictionary defines an expert as a person who is very knowledgeable about or skilful in a particular area.
Ok, but again, how knowledgeable do we need to be to be considered very knowledgeable? Who is going to grant us this elusive status? After all, one man’s very knowledgeable is another man’s Homer Simpson.
Expert Enough to Do What?
As stated in the Expert Enough Manifesto, expertise is relative. You don’t have to be the best at something to be considered an expert, but depending on what you want to do, you may need to achieve certain standards.
Obviously if you want to be a doctor, then you need to complete a long course of study, pass your exams to a high level and gain several years experience on the job before you can be considered a medical expert and allowed to treat patients on your own.
But for many less risky professions, there is no specific benchmark you have to reach before you can successfully earn a living. You get to judge your own level of expertise.
If you want to be, say, a guitar tutor, there are no exams you need to pass before you can charge people for your knowledge. You will probably just need to demonstrate to potential customers that you can play to a decent level, and if they are suitably impressed, they will hand over their money in exchange for your expertise.
So many people have the potential to start their own businesses doing what they love, but they put it off, because they don’t think they are good enough. They are waiting for someone to grant them expert status.
As an artist, I have suffered from a lack of confidence in my work, and to overcome that, I’ve decided to take a course to improve my skills. But that doesn’t mean I have to wait until I’ve finished the course before people will value and buy my work.
I’m also contemplating teaching art in some form, and again I have been conflicted with the idea of teaching while I’m still learning. But the fact is, even though I personally don’t feel like an expert, I am way more skilled than a lot of people, and people will find value in what I can teach them.
Constant Improvement
You will always have more to learn. Even if you’re the best of the best, there is always room for improvement. But at the same time, there will always be people with less experience and skill than you, who will consider you an expert, and find value in what you have to offer.
As for the question of being expert enough, nobody is going to grant you that status, you have to claim it for yourself.
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Note from Caleb: Don’t forget, this week we launched our new course, How to Start a Blog That Matters. We’d love to have you join us. Check out the 13-week course and see if it is the right fit for you.
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I can really relate to this one.
I have a blog dedicated to brand new bloggers to help them make it through those ugly beginner stages where it seems like they are writing to themselves (and maybe a loving relative or two). It took me a while to become comfortable with giving blogging advice because I’m no Darren Rowse.
But then I thought about it; how many times have I started a blog just to get discouraged and quit? I’ve done it plenty of times. This time, however, I didn’t quit.
Does that make me a blogging expert? Of course not. Does that make me an expert at making it through the first 6 months or so? Well, I’ve done it. And most new bloggers won’t be able to. So, yes. I think it does.
Now that I am comfortable with viewing myself as an expert of making it through the beginning stages, my work has gotten much better. And it’s starting to pay off.
Great article.
Thanks Sean! It’s easy to look at people who have much more experience than us, and think that we have nothing to offer compared to them, but that’s rarely the case.
If you’ve gone beyond the beginner stage, then you can at least teach the beginners!
Loved this, Dan.
Sometimes we just need to step forward and do things. As we learn, we develop our own expertise.
I’ve learned over the years that just because something comes second nature to me doesn’t mean that the same is try for everyone. I know for a fact that I’ve missed opportunities because I downplayed my own expertise. It’s up to each of us to claim it when it’s there, and ultimately the world is a better place when we put our skills to their highest use.
Thanks for the post!
Thanks, Brandon.
I believe there’s actually a recognised psychological phenomenon whereby people who are skilled at something tend to have a skewed perception of how skilled beginners will be. (I can’t remember the name for it though. Anyone?)
For example, people who can speak a foreign language fluently are often surprised at how little beginners can understand.
Dan,
you are really getting around. This article was so well said. i think a lot of people have that conflicting idea in their head that they aren’t expert enough to do something. But as you said, it’s all relative.
I’ve seen your work and think I would call you an expert. My friends think i’m an expert blogger. that’s makes me laugh because i don’t see myself as an expert.
ps
I loved your last statement “nobody is going to grant you that status, you have to claim it for yourself.”
Thanks Annie!
I guess as long as someone considers us experts, then that’s enough, despite what we may think about ourselves.
Also, it’s not until you start getting good at something that you realise how much there is still to learn, which could explain why we may feel inferior while others consider us experts.
Nice article, in social dynamics I learned that many people don’t try stuff because they don’t give permision to themselves to be cool, or to do something.
I think the best way to do something is like getting into a cold pool, just jump right in! I’m glad I started my blog, at first I made a lot of mistakes, but because I decided to do it and put my attention to it it’s that I have learned a lot from my mistakes, I think everybody should do a project just for fun, and have goals with it, you could learn so much more, from it, I learned much more from SEO, Affiliate marketing, wordpress, etc. By actually practicing everything in my blog just for fun.
If you are learning something, and want to get to expert as fast as possible then it’s better to jump right into the big leagues, and to befriend the best in the game, you will learn much more that way than reading or practicing by yourself.
Very true, Rodrigo.
Taking action is the most important step. If you sit around procrastinating because you think you’re not good enough, you will never get anywhere and you will never improve.
People will always be willing to be trained how to draw I think Dan, if this is what you have in mind?
Have you considered going to a small local council art gallery and trying to set up a drawing class – it could be landscapes or the figure etc?
You could divide up each lesson into how Betty Edwards approaches drawing – so this might give you a helpful road map to use as a teaching tool each session; http://www.drawright.com/ (this book is THE book on drawing and is recommended on most degrees if you haven’t come across it already.) Or it could help you with an online venture?
As for the expert thing, none of my degree level teachers are experts, and would readily admit it, and do quite well teaching, although in a sense they are not teaching traditional materials and processess per se.
I think that with regards to observational painting and drawing, if you can describe and guide the very process of it to beginners then you’ll be ok.
Like the Typography on the manifesto btw, did u do it?
goodluck
Thanks Charlie.
Betty Edwards’ book is where I learned most of what I know about drawing, so yeah, a lot of the theory in there would be incorporated into my own teaching material.
And no, I can take no credit for the Expert Enough Manifesto, it’s all Corbett’s work.
Dan this is such an inspiring post. No one would ever tag you as expert, you have to live being one. Confidence and knowledge is important in backing up your status of personal expertise. There are lots of people out there who are calling themselves ‘expert’ not because they studied it or got a diploma from something. Rather these people are confident enough that the experiences that they went through – good and bad – are essential in the making of an expert. Great post!
Spatch Merlin
This is such an inspiring blog for those who are not only “training” to be an expert in a field, and also those who are very knowledgeable in a field that requires no expert claim.
I agree that everyones definition of expert is different. I believe that only you know how expert you are and you should not wait for someone to grant you expert status because most likely that will never happen. You do not want to miss out in an oppurtunity to share your knowledge with the world.