[MR] To compete or not to compete, that is the question

[Telara at aol.com]

Greetings Good Gentles,

I felt the need to give a comment about competitions.

Each creator looks at their work as a beloved "child", and if we realize this fact, we begin to see the larger issue. What we create is close to our hearts, something cherished that we might want to bring forth and show-off to others.

One does not say to a new parent, "that is the ugliest baby I've ever seen", regardless of any thoughts along such lines. There are baby contests. And there are parents who are enamored of their babies and enter the babies in these contests, wanting to show the world their own sweet beloved child. Now the fact that said child is actually a troll in a sailor suit, and some fairy has made off with the real human baby - well that is a reality often disguised by kind words of "how sweet", "what a lovely smile", "beautiful eyes". We as fellow humans would never destroy a loving parent's image of their child, but we would look for a feature, something kind we can say about the child.

The thing to remember as a judge in any contest - be it SCA or mundane - is that you are looking at a parent's "child", something beloved that took time, energy and effort to bring forth. Find a kind word or two to say while being honest and true to yourself. The fact that an entry is not a "winner" doesn't mean the work involved was wasted. Kind words do not negate the fact that this entry was not up to standard, and the kind words do much to soften the blow of not "winning" a competition. So the "parent" is able to return home with their "baby", being happy to have shown off the "child" to others, even if they did not win. Remember that it is a difficult thing to enter a contest and expose yourself and your "child" to the harsh world.

The thing to remember as an entrant - you may actually be told your baby is ugly. But that will come from a thoughtless individual you can easily discount. Take true comments, ones dealing with the work you have performed, information on sources, and any other tangible fact, and use that information. Opinions are just that - opinions. Everyone has one. One person's opinion should never stop you from living life and enjoying what you do. And it should never stop you from showing off once in a while - just for the fun of it.

Human nature is such that we like to show-off. We dress up, show our work, and sometimes we compete with others. The key in the SCA is to have FUN. However, if we all ensure our comments are ones we would not mind receiving ourselves, I think the issue of judges comments will go away. Remember, there is always someone else out there better than you are - would you want to receive the comment you are thinking of writing?

In service,
Honora le Brun
(Barony of Stierbach)