5 Small (But Easily Fixable) Mistakes Most Makers...Make
Becoming a great Maker isn't about being "the best."
It's actually far more about being reliable—and people being able to trust that you won't make little mistakes.
For Makers, these are the 5 small (but easily fixable) mistakes most people make—and why, if you can avoid these, your Maker journey is going to accelerate exponentially:
Mistake #1: Planning To "Wing It" On Projects
After you watch a 12-minute easy project on YouTube, you think you can do that easily too, and try without coming up with a plan, but the results are terrible, leaving you to wonder whether you should have even tried.
As hard as it is during a YouTube rabbit hole dive, remember that a significant amount of time and work was cut in the edit. Plus, the Makers on YouTube who DO start without a plan have years of experience to fall back on.
Save yourself time, wasted material, and headaches by taking a little time to at least outline what you need to do before diving in.
Mistake #2: Focusing On What The "Best" Tools Are
Once you decide you need a certain type of tool, it’s natural to look for the best, but the project gets delayed as you research and find conflicting reviews trying to figure out which tool is “best”.
The truth is, there is no such thing. With as far as tool companies have innovated, once you get to mid-range tools, features are largely subjective. Instead, take a note from Adam Savage and buy the cheapest one you can get away with to start out.
Once you get some time with the cheap one and use it on several projects, you’ll be able to identify what you do and don’t like, which helps you make informed decisions when really pulling out your wallet for the higher end version.
Mistake #3: Comparing Your Projects To Online Makers
When you finish a project, you’ll inevitably see a similar version online shortly after (downside of the internet) and will compare what you did to the online Maker’s feeling inadequate.
Everyone is on their own Maker journey at their own pace. Some people online Make things as their full-time job, which lets them accelerate their Maker education. If you’re like me and have a different full-time job, you’ll never be learning as quickly as those online.
Instead of comparing where you are to someone else, compare how you did on the current project compared to your last couple and look for the incremental improvement.
Mistake #4: Trying To Be Perfect
As you develop your skills, you’ll inevitably believe that you have a specific technique or style down and you should be able to create it perfectly, but perfection is next to impossible to achieve.
Star Wars has helped me understand that there is beauty in the flaws (think about how the Millinnium Falcon is always referred to as a hunk of junk). Perfection is boring and we don’t want to be boring Makers. Instead of shooting to be perfect, look to improve just a little every time you try something and you’ll be completely fine.
For mistakes that do happen, tap into your inner Bob Ross and turn those happy accidents into happy trees (or weathered greeblies).
Mistake #5: Starting Only When You Think You're Ready
Before your first project, you’ll get excited, do a ton of research online, dive into what tools to get, obsess over materials, think about your workspace, and 1,000 different things other than just building the damn thing.
A fear of failure is the root of this “productive” procrastination. If you’re telling yourself you’ll only do something under perfect conditions and assumptions, it’ll never happen. Instead, chase what excites you and if a certain project does, just start and figure it all out as you go along, changing materials and tools along the way if needed.
