Feedback can be hard, it’s challenging to give, and even more difficult to receive. Being open to feedback requires a level of vulnerability and humility that can be a tough pill to swallow.

Here’s the thing though, the value of feedback is almost impossible to quantify. As I’ve been working on projects with an objective to share with other people, it’s become increasingly clear I have to figure out how I can receive feedback in a constructive and healthy way.

I’ve recently come to the realization that my strength in the creative process is getting the idea to the alpha stage. Turning a concept into reality is difficult—ideas can feel fleeting until they’re tested in the real world, and getting them to that stage can be overwhelming.

Discovering this only highlighted the necessity to find others who can then help carry the creative load and give me earnest feedback. Part of the difficulty with this process, though, is that my brain intrinsically connects overwhelming emotions to feedback.

So what’s a they to do when they desperately want to create something that requires feedback but find it almost impossible to disconnect an emotional response from the input of others?

As silly as it may sound, I pretend that I’m cool with getting the feedback. That’s it, I just play pretend, as if I’m someone who handles receiving feedback real smooth. I know this approach may not work for everyone, but what it does for me is allow me the opportunity to role play as someone who doesn’t hit the same mental road blocks that I do.

It didn’t feel natural at first, pretending that all of my brain’s immediate responses should be ignored. Despite that, I stuck to it. Day after day, I would send out the prototypes of Daily D6 to friends and family asking for feedback; feeling a pit in my stomach with each send. Then something started to change, the feedback started getting easier to receive, it started shaping the project into something that was working for more people than just me.

I’ve learned that while the practice was originally thought of in order to get feedback on creative projects, it’s had an impact on how my brain responds in day to day life too. It’s helped build the practice of slowing down and hitting pause when I get that, all too common, negative emotional spike.

So keep sending me that feedback, both positive and less than positive. I’m loving the input from everyone and can’t wait to see how Daily D6 grows into the future. Maybe there really is something to the mantra of “fake it till you make it.”

As you make your way out of the city, with a bag of supplies thrown over your shoulder, you’re stopped by the city guards. They hurriedly approach, and you notice they both reach for their weapons, hands on the hilt, at the ready. The shorter of the two takes a step forward and says…