Get Something Out There
Introduction
One of the most difficult things to do as a person who makes things (websites, art, logos, applications, bird houses) is putting your project out for the world. It is hard because it is never quite where you want it to be, and you don’t want people to think you’re a hack.
Anonymity
No one has to know that it is you who made created project x. Pseudonyms have been around forever, authors use them all the time. It’s no big deal, half the time people are more interested in the work than who actually created it. So worse comes to worse you stay anonymous.
Feedback
I think one of the best ways to improve a project is to get constructive feedback and critiques. The early you get used to receiving feedback the easier it will get. It will also help you build confidence in what you do because a lot of your feedback will be positive. It’s a great deal in my opinion, the negative feedback you use to improve your project and the positive feedback will build your confidence.
Recognition
How are people supposed to notice you if you keep everything private? The more public you are about your work the more likely you are to be recognized. It will also open a bunch of opportunities for you. You could win an award, or land your dream job. One of the reasons that I started this blog was to open up a channel into my thoughts and opinions for the public.
Outside Involvement
If you are looking for participation on your project publicly releasing it is a great way to attract fellow enthusiasts. This also ties in some of the previous topics. When your little project grows into a community driven project, you will definitely be happy to be the source of all of the recognition.
Unfinished? No problem.
Even if your project isn’t completed. You can always put it out there as something that is in “beta”, or a “work in progress”. This helps if you are stuck somewhere or don’t know which direction you want to take your project in. There are plenty of people in every industry that will be willing to give you feedback if you ask for it.
Conclusion
If you are new to something, you get it out there, and it doesn’t go as well as planned. No big deal, it will just be an indicator of progress next time you release something. Experts in their fields have tons of early work that is laughable to them now.
“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” — Neils Bohr