Project Ebon-knee and Japanese Lessons

Once again, I took a step forward with Project Ebon-knee. Not much else has changed. While I am happy that my Zbrush skills have improved, I'm not sure what to make out of them. Is this another non-marketable party trick you are good at? Honestly, I don't know. Maybe I'll find the answer by talking to other people. 

On the job search front, I really haven't been trying. There is this illogical combination of unworthiness, worry, indifference and egomania that prevents me from making any headway. I'm not sure if I am shooting at the right targets, with the right ammunition. But weirdly, I think of the Japanese to draw some wisdom from...

Lesson 1:

The Japanese don't speak English well because they do not want to speak it until they get to a certain level of proficiency. The problem is that, they never reach that level of proficiency because they never get out there and work their craft. They want to be good enough so that perhaps, they won't be laughed at, or be embarrassed if they don't perform well. I suppose parallels can be drawn from my own situation here. I spend to much time in my own mind that I sometimes lose touch of reality. Moral of the story? Don't be afraid to try. Just keep at it and make adjustments along the way.

Lesson 2:

I learnt from a Japanese chef that an apprentice must slice a radish for a year before he is allowed to serve it to the customers. Same for frying the egg. In fact, their dedication to their craft is a 2 edged sword. While it may be argued that this stifles true innovation, there is some wisdom in following the well-tread path. The well-tread path allows you to leverage on the wisdom that others have invested years of time and effort on. Moral of the story? Walk in the paths that someone else has cleared. Learn to borrow from the wisdom of others. However, do be discerning and always look for a better way to do things - Miyamoto Musashi was able to defeat masters of any proven sword style because he adapted to his competition.