When I was an art student almost 30 years ago I studied under the guidance one of Israel’s greatest artist Yaakov Dorchin. He wasn’t a man of many words but still somehow with the little words he did use he taught us much more than many others teachers did with a million words.
In our first lesson ever Dorchin (as we called him) instructed us to use clay and create a self-portrait. We spend close to 3 hours creating it and I was really proud of it.
When the lesson neared it’s ending, Yaakov instructed each of us to take a piece of metal wire and once we had them in our hands he told us “Great work creating your portrait. Now take the wire and cut your clay self-portrait into 6 different chunks and resemble it into a new sculpture”
There was quiet. That’s it. With no more explanation. With no more lectures or “teaching”. We simply had to do it.
Dorchin could have instructed us to create any sculpture at the beginning of the lesson but in his genius, he chose a self-portrait to drive hi point in. What better way to pass to us his silent lessons.
- Lesson #1: It’s not about me
- Lesson #2: Never get attached to my creation
- Lesson #3: At any given point in time be ready to completely reassess my assumptions, break them down to pieces and reassemble them a new.
I never forgot this lesson! I have mentioned it to others in the 30 years since countless times.
It gave me the power in my early days, as a designer, to withstand the feedback and criticism without attachment, always reminding myself they are talking about the pixels, not about me.
Later, it separated me from my ideas as a product person and enabled me to change my approach at any given moment, without attachment, any time another person had a better idea or perspective.
And today, it enables me as a coach to look at a person I’m coaching, without attachment to who I’m seeing, and know that what I see in the present is just a single version of endless “configurations” that person could create of themselves if the choose to commit to their vision.
The knowledge that my life, the products I create, the business I build could be dismantled and any given moment and reassembled in a new more exciting way, that serves my vision best fuels me and gives me the courage to always question my current reality and ask what would I do If I “cut it in 6 parts” and assemble a new version of me.
What would you breakdown in your life and reassemble in a completely different way if you could?
