Freak FACTOR

Read David Rendall's "Freak Factor : Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness." 

In this article it talks about everyone’s weaknesses and strengths. Rendall says everyone should embrace his or her weaknesses because a weakness could end up being a strength. He also says how we should build on our strengths, so our weaknesses won’t seem so big to us.  The thing I love about this article is how it discusses strengths and weaknesses because those are the two things everyone thinks about on a daily basis; what are my strengths and what are my weaknesses? We think about those things when we are in school, at work, and in daily activities. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is the most important thing to know personally.

Here are three of the nine suggestions that I felt were valid:

4. Forget it: Don't Try To Fix Your Weaknesses

In this suggestion it states that we shouldn't try to fix our weaknesses because it doesn't work; we will always have weaknesses. I would use this suggestion, in my creative life, by not trying to fix or get rid of my weaknesses. By doing that I will save myself a lot of time and effort because I know I will never be able to fix or overcome them because I will always have some type of weakness. I also shouldn't try to get rid of my weaknesses because someday that weakness might become a strength in a certain situation. I feel we should embrace our weaknesses because if we don't than we will just let them get to us and then we will never overcome them or we will forget about our strengths.

5. Foundation: Build On Your Strengths

In this suggestion it states that we should build on our strengths, so we don't end up losing them. I would use this suggestion, in my creative life, by trying to build on my strengths because the better I am at something, the less people focus on my weaknesses. For example, I'm not that great at writing, which is my weakness but my strength is coming up with story ideas. So I can come up with ideas, I just haven't mastered putting them down on paper. So I will try to build on my strength by coming up with lots of ideas and working with the right people that have the strength of writing.

7. Fit: Find the Right Spot

In this suggestion it states that we should try to find situations or places where our natural strengths excel. By doing this we are setting ourselves up for success, instead of putting our selves in situations or places where our weaknesses are the ones displayed. I would use this suggestion in my creative life by choosing one part of the entertainment industry where I know my strengths would excel at. I would most likely choose the film industry because that is what I'm passionate about the most and I know I would excel in that part because I'm great at coming up with film ideas; I'm not so great at coming up with TV ideas, which would be another weakness of mine.

Throughout my first year at OU I have started noticing my strengths and weaknesses in my major. Right now, I would say that my strengths would be coming up with ideas for films, being organized, dealing with the business side of my major, and taking leadership in projects. I would say my weaknesses are things I have not yet learned and things I still haven't mastered yet. Some of the things I haven't learned about yet are lighting (gaffing), sound, or final cut studio. And the thing I still need practice on is writing; once I master writing I will be set for good.