Praise makes even the whale dance. But the opposite is also the case.
Producers who have been praised and recognized for their first ideas sometimes have a hard time continuing their work. American writer Harper Lee is a perfect example. He published his first novel in 1960. has been a huge success with It was popular with the public and even won a Pulitzer Prize. But for the next 55 years, Harper Lee didn’t write a second novel. The second book came out in 2015. The book sold a lot because of the author’s fame, but it was not a new novel. It is considered a draft of
Researchers from the University of Washington in St. Louis (WUSTL) and Erasmus University in the Netherlands followed 224 cookbook authors in the UK to see how the success of their first published work affected the creativity of producers. 50% of them have published a second book. Interestingly, the more favorable the first book was, the less likely it was to publish a second book.
The researchers also conducted an experiment on business school students. The students were asked to come up with an idea for a cookbook. About the assignment, half of the students rated it as very original and novel, and the other half found it solid and traditional. There was also a formula for an idea that would shake the culinary world when it was criticized for being original.
The students were once more asked to come up with an idea for a second cookbook. However, students who received favorable reviews for their first idea as original had much more difficulty coming up with subsequent ideas than those who did not.
According to one of the authors, Professor Markus Behr, those who succeed with their first idea come to see themselves as ‘creative people’. It is natural to want to protect this precious and special identity. And one of the ways to prevent failure, the horrific outcome of failing, is not to try at all.
It is necessary to redefine the way you think regarding success and failure to avoid getting your hands on a second job for fear of ruining your reputation. Success isn’t just regarding skill. Luck plays a big role in success. It should also be remembered that one learns from failure as much as from success.
The results of this study (A recipe for success? Sustaining creativity among first-time creative producers.) were published in the Journal of Applied Psychology and reported by the Science Daily.
Reporter Lee Yong-jae youngchaeyi@kormedi.com
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