Have we forgotten what it means to look around instead of looking up? I think as beginners we have a propensity to look up to the people we'd like to emulate in anything we're currently bad at, but what about those who are also on the same journey? We can certainly learn from them if not learn WITH them, that's got to count for something, right?

Being able to leverage a network where everyone can benefit from shared knowledge seems like a more straightforward way to cultivate a mutually beneficial environment than attempting your 50th at bat trying to slide into someone DMs to mentor you. Don't get me wrong, I've tried my fair share "cold DM'ing" people I thought would NEVER respond...and they didn't, but that's not the point! Well, on second thought it is because the entire time I spent aiming for access to one person's time and attention, I was blind to the inherent access of a community that was sitting right in front of me.

Now I know what you're going to say: "You crash dummy, there's a reason why we want to be mentored by the experts and not the community!". I understand the obvious point, but I want to counter that by asking who's to say that there aren't experts in a community? What's a community without seasoned veterans, middle journey-persons, and beginners that contribute to the community's broader knowledge base? The variety is the advantage here!

So please, next time you type up that DM, take the time to look around instead of looking up!