How I "show my work" and why you should too
How I "show my work" and why you should too
The notion of "show your work" was introduced to me by Austin Kleon's book where he talks about the "how". If you haven't already, I highly recommend giving it a read, as it has profoundly influenced my life. In this blog, however, I won't be discussing the book itself; instead, I'll be sharing my perspective on the concept and unveiling my approach to it. So, without further ado, let's dive right in.
Get ready to show: Consuming to Creating
In the era of information overload with new things showing up as you hit refresh, we have become accustomed to being perpetual "consumers.". Making the mindset shift to "creating" is the first, most important and most difficult step for showing your work. It requires certain amount of courage as you're effectively giving others a window to your thoughts. Yet once you've made up your mind, it's good to know that not everything is working against you. Today, the barrier for "creating" is lower than ever before with the abundance of resources like AI which bridges the gap between raw ideas and creating.
My own creative journey began with writing about topics that ignited my passion, such as food. However, after encountering the concept of "show your work," my focus evolved, and I found myself increasingly drawn to documenting my ventures related to data. Next let's talk about what to show.
What to show: Go beyond your work
As the name suggests you'll be showing your "work", however, work here doesn't imply your everyday tasks or exact duties you perform, because depending on what you do that maybe infeasible, uninteresting or even illegal. Instead, the essence lies in sharing the valuable insights and lessons gained through your experiences – the learnings that are truly worth showcasing.
The way I decide what's worthy is by asking myself - "Did this push me to go beyond what I already know? Did it ignite a profound thought process?" If yes, I know it's worth sharing. It doesn't have to be a daily thing as chances of you actually learning something worth showing every day are slim. Also don't stress about how others would benefit from it yet(that follows in the next section). The key is documenting and displaying significant moments of growth and learning.
Allow me to share my own example. As someone who deals with multiple SQL queries daily, I find that one particularly complex query, which pushes me beyond my existing knowledge, serving as the perfect seed for my next blog post.
Doing to showing: Art of story telling
The main thing about showing your work is that you can't just give it raw to folks, that's like eating raw liver which we know isn't the most friendly way to get your nutrients. You've to make it digestible or in other words dumb it down first. This skill becomes particularly valuable when you deal with decision-makers or audiences who may not be familiar with your work directly but still wield the power to influence it, such as customers or stakeholders.
The first step is extracting the essence of the work, what's the one thing that you did that makes it noteworthy, this becomes the central idea. Next step, craft a narrative around it, create a story that packages your idea in an accessible manner. After all, everyone loves a good story. This in no way is easy, but with practice it gets easier to build stories around things you've worked on.
In my own approach, after picking the SQL query that I want to talk about, I first ask myself what makes it special or why I picked it. Notice I didn't go directly to showing after picking as that will be too esoteric for others. Once I have the main idea, I think about other similar applications where you can apply the same idea. For instance, in this blog, I discuss the concept of having a start and end date for a history table, something I worked on. However, in the blog, I applied this idea to analyzing clickstream data from my personal blog, making it more relatable and engaging for readers.
Why show: The benefits
Let's explore some of the key benefits that make this practice truly worthwhile.
Wider Reach: By sharing your work, you can extend your influence and connect with a broader audience. Your creations become accessible to others even before they are familiar with you personally, effectively expanding your reach.
Introduction through Work: Your body of work acts as an introduction on your behalf. When others come across it, they gain insights into your skills, expertise, and creativity, setting the stage for further opportunities.
Enhanced Communication Skills: Regularly sharing your work hones your ability to communicate effectively. Being able to not only perform tasks but also articulate and write about them showcases you as a skilled communicator.
Fostering Learning: Showing encourages continuous learning. When you present your work, it compels you to think beyond the initial idea and explore potential applications and packaging methods for others. This pursuit of enhanced presentation and applicability further enriches your knowledge.
For me personally, the most compelling benefit of "showing my work" has been the discovery of new perspectives and previously overlooked aspects. Through this practice, I have come to appreciate the importance of elements I once took for granted, such as having a robust data infrastructure. The need to explain my SQL queries to others highlighted gaps in my understanding and inspired me to deepen my knowledge in areas that were previously unexplored.
Delivery: Pick your poison
Notice how along the entire blog I haven't talked about any specific medium till now. It's because the MEDIUM doesn't matter, I picked writing but you can choose video or audio, as long as you pick one. I'd go to a further extent and say SIZE doesn't matter either. If writing a whole blog or making an entire video seems intimidating, start with a tweet or a TikTok, that's way less work and commitment but a nice way to getting started.
Throughout this blog, you might have noticed that I refrained from discussing any specific medium until now. The reason is that the MEDIUM doesn't matter, while I personally chose writing, you can choose video, audio, or any other form that suits you best. The key is to choose one and get started.
I'd go to a further and say SIZE doesn't matter either. If the idea of writing an entire blog post or producing a full-length video feels daunting, you can start small with a tweet or a TikTok. That's way less work and commitment but a nice way to getting started. The critical point here is to take that first step.
In conclusion, the key takeaway is to embrace the process of showing, whatever form it may take. Your journey of sharing will be unique and rewarding, so go ahead, take that first step. Happy creating!
If you show, do let me know @abhishek27297. If you're into data, see here.