What I found most interesting in Scott's lecture and what terrifies me most about the art world, and the science world, and the world in general. Networking. Networking is such a terrible word. It sounds too seedy. The part of any job where you make people like you so they will help you down the road. Actually, that also sounds wrong...but you know what I mean. How do you create a social working environment when it's just you?
I've always envied the smooth talkers and fast thinkers. So it makes me nervous to think of how important the skill of talking and interacting is, and how much more successful my efforts could be if I could master it. When I was younger, I read a lot of books on how to make people like you. Especially "How to Win Friends and Influence People". It's a fairly simple concept. Just make the other person think that you like them without sounding fake. That's really all it takes to make a friend in theory. But damn is it so much more difficult in practice.
So, back to Scott. He said something very specific that intrigued me. He talked about how if you take the time to help other people, they will take the time to help you back. That's such a concrete way to think about it. It's like an exchange relationship. You help me set up my gallery space, I'll help you move that big sculpture out of your car. You put me in contact with person x, I'll give you a good recommendation to person y. That helps so much. Just putting it into simple terms.
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