I wasn’t planning to write a second post today, but then I opened my email, and the new article from Study Hacks begged to be shared.
I spent the weekend talking to parents about how easy it is for gifted children to fall into the fixed mindset of intelligence and talent that Carol Dweck describes so well, which leads to avoidance of risk and failure and lack of skills for how to get from where you are now, to where you want to be (you can test your mindset here).
In” How to Become a Star Screenwriter: A Case Study in Modern Craftsmanship,” Cal Newport’s thoughts on apprenticeship as “throwing yourself among the masters” are valuable for students and parents alike, regardless of whether you want to be a screenwriter, in combating the fixed mindset and, instead, looking for opportunities and seeing yourself as, in Dweck’s phrase, a work in progress.
From Newport:
“It’s not just hard work combined with some easily learned tips — ‘show, don’t tell!;’ ‘use a three act structure!’ — it’s a craft. And learning crafts takes not only time, but exposure to master craftsman.“
Enjoy! Thanks, again, to AHR for first introducing me to Study Hacks.
