The 7 stages of becoming a GeoBender "Flexpert"
Can you master the GeoBender?
What was your reaction when you first laid eyes on a GeoBender? Were you astonished? Confused? Perplexed? If you just take one glance at the comments on our TikTok and Instagram videos, you'll find that most people react with awe.
This is the 7 step flow that GeoBender enthusiasts enter as they move from awareness into mastery. What stage are you currently at?
1: Bewilderment
GeoBenders are strange, and they act in ways that might seem abnormal, or even unnatural the first few times you encounter them. Slowly the bewilderment subsides as you come to understand that this isn't magic, but rather geometry, and as you come to explore the device in your hands typical frustration occurs within just a handful of minutes.
2: Frustration
WHY WON'T IT JUST GO BACK INTO A CUBE!?? This feeling of agony can persist, especially if a friend or video tutorial makes it look so dang easy. The first few times you hold a GeoBender it will feel like a mystery. "Shouldn't it be as easy as it looks? What am I doing wrong? Is it broken?" Stick with it. When you manage to get it back into a cube, or to form the ball or whatever other shape you are aspiring towards, the rewarding feeling will outweigh the frustration by leaps and bounds.
3: Satisfaction
You are only inexperienced once, and as you begin to discover how the cube works you will enjoy that epic feeling of fulfillment when the magnets lock into place in just the right way. Ahhhh, there are few better feelings than that! And oh, how satisfying is the sound it makes? This satisfaction will surely be enough to get you hooked and eager to explore what more the cube has to offer.
4: Curiosity
Okay, so you can get the GeoBender back into a cube reliably now, and maybe you've even begun to master the rest of the 6 main shapes. What else is this thing capable of? How many shapes are there really, and how can you work your way around it to go from one formulation to the next? What is this transformation tree that the GeoBender team is talking about? And what will happen if I stick 2 or more cubes together?
5: Inspiration
Wow! What dazzling creations this toy is capable of. Not only is it fun to fidget with, it makes me feel a sense of wonder with the world around me. But why? What is it about the GeoBender that is so awe inspiring? Why does it keep finding its way back into my thoughts, and how can I articulate the feelings that it is evoking?
6: Mastery
You've spent dozens (if not hundreds) of hours exploring the cube. You know how to make all of the shapes on the transformation tree with ease, you know each of their names, all of the names of the various designs, and even some of the history behind the product. You've dabbled in speedcubing, if not already become an expert, and you understand what they are capable of in large batches. You have gone from novice to expert, and your collection is growing. You are becoming a true GeoBender Master.
7: Teaching
Now that you've mastered the GeoBender yourself, you can't help but enjoy sharing this knowledge and excitement with as many people as possible. Fortunately for you there are many other people in this same boat, and we encourage you to join one of our many GeoBender communities online. But more than finding likeminded GeoBender pros to connect with, you want to help spread the cube love and educate other people about GeoBenders and share with them the same journey you went on. The only logical thing to do from here is to buy gifts, make videos, or show them off to people in your network. Remember, when one teaches, two learn.