Another dancing analogy. When I used to perform onstage, I would avoid watching certain performances. I would actively avoid listening to kindhearted suggestions of "you should perform this". I wanted to create. FULLY create. Not modify or copy. Same thing happens with course design.
A meeting yesterday made me think of this. I met with a friend to talk about a totally new suite of courses to add to our training ecosystem. My friend generously offered to share existing course materials from another training provider.
This has happened a LOT in my life. People offer me competitor materials all the time. But. I don't take them. Looking at someone else's stuff would actively harm the creative process.
- Creating training is craft.
- Creating GREAT training is an art.
It's a full expression of creativity and analysis through words, images and structure. When I look at "someone else's stuff" it directs me toward copying or doing the opposite. In both cases, that other stuff is directing the course design. I don't want that.
It's a long, hard and lonely road to create from nothing. And there's a lot of risk in doing things that aren't proven. And, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.