I’ve just finished listening to the audio version of Malcolm Gladwell’s new book entitled Outliers: The Story of Success. I found the book entertaining, educational and enlightening. “Outliers” are extraordinary people outside the normal or average. The full description of the ‘whats’ and ‘whys’ of these extraordinary people in “Outliers” is within this interview. I’m not going to review the book or go into detail here. Gladwell’s research and narrative style combine the interesting and educational far better than I can.
What I did find of interest relating to Photoshop skills is this: At the heart of success in a skill is 10,000 hours of dedicated practice. Gladwell offers examples of musicians, programmers, and chess players who have applied the ‘10,000 hours of practice rule’ to become “Outliers.” A second key to putting in 10,000 hours is that you need to love doing it. It’s hard to do something for 10,000 hours that you hate doing.
Hey, I’ve been using Photoshop for hours on end almost daily – and I love doing it.
So, I started doing some math. Have I put 10,000 hours into Photoshop? I started using Photoshop in 1991. So I’ve been using Photoshop for 17 years – or about 6,205 days. I’ll be honest; I have not used Photoshop every single day since 1991. So I’ll be conservative, and say I’ve only used Photoshop about half of those days for three hours each day. That’s about 9,300 hours. So, I’ve finally figured it out. I’m only 700 hours away from being a Photoshop “Outlier.” I’m sure that when I hit that magic 10,000 hour mark, I will be suddenly, but deservedly, enlightened with the full and complete knowledge of Photoshop.
Suddenly I’m struck with fear. I was conservative in my calculations. It’s possible I’ve actually passed the 10,000 hour mark – and felt no different than the 9,999 hours before. Think about it, I passed the Photoshop Certified Expert test on my first try. Do I already know it all?
Oh, but wait, there’s that new version of Photoshop that comes out every 18 to 24 months. Adobe keeps changing things. You know – moving menu items, removing filters, adding 3-D. Photoshop and 10,000 hours may make no sense at all. Every rule has an exception. I believe that Photoshop might be the exception that confirms Gladwell’s ‘10,000 hour rule.’
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I don't think Photoshop is
I don't think Photoshop is an exception to the rule. You say that Gladwell mentions programmers and musicians as an example... well those are two areas that are constantly changing just like Photoshop. I think his point is to put in time and keep up with changing times. Very nice idea.
Anonymous (AKA
Anonymous (AKA easydigitals.com),
Sorry if I was confusing. The end of this post was tongue-in-cheek. Just a little fun. You really need to dig into Gladwell’s book a bit to appreciate the 10,000 hours rule and how difficult that is to accomplish. Basically the idea is that once you have your 10,000 hours of practice into something you really begin to shine and have success. Ultimately, Gladwell’s point is that we need to be aware that extraordinary people are the result of opportunity. We all need to help ourselves and others by providing opportunities. My desire is that CampPhotoshop.com is a helpful resource or opportunity for Photoshoppers on their road to and even beyond 10,000 hours.