The proverb “If you’re the smartest person in the room, get out of the room” is one of my all time favourites. And I like to extend ‘smart’ to mean ‘talented’, ‘skilled’, ‘experienced’ and ‘insightful’ as well. Because you can learn so much more from people who are better than you at something, than trying to bang your head against the wall by yourself, or with others whose mastery has not yet reached your level.
That’s why I love to go to high caliber conferences like the Cartoon Masters events, and I try to surround myself with people who are smarter than me. You have to get out of your ‘room’, out of your own bubble to learn. Because isn’t that what life is about?
