SCABs

Lobster – By @dj_sbex

By Sophie Becker

 

Lobster

 

 

Everyone always asks me “what’s your secret?” Usually I just make a little pincer-type action and glide away without a further word. Irritating and unhelpful as this may seem, I’m actually imparting invaluable wisdom.

 

I’m only going to say this once (mainly because it’s awful).

 

It’s all about the lobster, baby

 

I owe a lot to the lobster. Namely one very tiny, very blue little lobster that earned me my place at SCA. Marina Crustacea I called her.

 

Today I’m ready to share some of the lessons the lobster’s taught me. So I introduce to you

 

SCA wisdom as told through lobster facts

 

  1. Shed your shell

Lobsters grow by “molting”. By shedding their old shell and forming a new one underneath. They struggle out of their old shell while simultaneously absorbing water which expands their body size. Each time they molt, they increase their size about 20%.

 

This is how we should grow too. By shedding our old ideas and beliefs and nurturing new ones. If we hang on to our old shells, we won’t grow.

 

But the old shell’s not wasted. It’s eaten ravenously and its nutrients used to harden the new shell. No idea is ever wasted. It just goes back into our bank, ready to help build newer, stronger ideas.

 

SCA is like being reborn over and over again. And we should never stop this process. There’s always room to grow if you let go of old thoughts and behaviours. Which takes me onto my next point…

 

Never stop growing

Lobsters keep on growing from the moment they’re born to the moment they die. They can get disturbingly huge. And so can we.

 

We should never stop growing. To keep on making great work we have to stay humble, hungry and curious. You can never have enough dots. There’s always something new to learn from everyone and everything.

 

Regenerate your limbs

If a lobster’s limb is ripped off in combat, it’s not a big deal. They don’t whine about it like a little bitch. In fact they’re happy about it. Because they get to grow a brand new limb.

 

Whenever our idea’s ripped apart by a mentor, we need to see this as an opportunity to grow a new one. Learn to iterate and iterate. Our work should constantly be in a state of flux and regrowth.

 

A cycle of wound and repair. That’s how you make a strong lobster and a strong portfolio.

 

Carry live sperm

After days of squirting urine into the den of her desired mate (my personal favourite method of seduction), the male lobster plants his sperm package into the female’s receptacle. She then carry it with her until she has an egg she wishes to fertilise.

 

This what we must do with each of our dots – with each little nugget of gold we squirrel away. We have to carry it with us until we decide that time is right, then unleash it on the problem we’re tackling.

 

Taste with your feet.

Indeed lobsters do taste with their feet. They’re coated in tiny sensory hairs that they use to taste their food. This means they have an advantage over other mouth-tasting species of fish.

 

For us to have an advantage in the industry, we have to consider problems from perspectives that others wouldn’t consider. Put weird combinations together and see what occurs. (This SCAB?) Don’t just see with your eyes, see with your elbows. Hear with your arse. Smell with your nipples. Anything’s possible if only you believe.

 

So, I hope you’ve learnt something tonight. I certainly have not.

 

x

 

 

 

The copy scores 78.2 in the Flesch Reading Ease test

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