Thoughts on doing

Rilla Alexander recently spoke at the 99% conference (1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration) and offered these words on the importance of doing, not just planning.

• "Without the doing, the dreaming is useless." Most creative professionals are dreamers. Sure, a tendency to be struck with ideas and inspiration means you're in the right field, but it takes discipline to persevere past the "dreaming stage" and start chipping away at really making it happen.
• There will always be another idea that looks better than the one you're working on. Rilla reframes "the grass is always greener" trope through a creative lens: Don't abandon your idea just because another one strikes you. Be aware of the temptation to change direction and give your idea a fighting chance to succeed first.
• Don't let your high expectations hold you back. Rilla says, "Even something that fails to meet my expectations would be better than nothing." Sometimes, we let our fear of not living up to our own high standards prevent us from even beginning. Her advice? Just start. You can always iterate later.

PIC-OF-THE-WEEK

Most of my photos are non-people photos, but I couldn't resist adding this one of my son-in-law, Nate and my new grandson, Nash. I shot this the day before my Nate returned to Afghanistan. He got to come home for the birth of his son.

RAW

COOKED

More on plan the work; work the plan

I talked about the approach I take to accomplish complex creative projects in my 8/19/11 post. There are essentially 4 steps:

1. WHAT has to be done? Identify every piece of the project no matter how small.
2. HOW LONG will each piece take? Keep track of your estimated and actual time spent.
3. WHEN will each piece be done? Schedule a start and finish date.
4. WHO will deliver each of the pieces?

Tonight we have a theater show that has a cast of 13 and will utilize a lot of different elements:

     - 17 sound cues

     - 6 videos

     - 2 backdrop graphics

     - 6 original comedy sketches

     - 5 original video “commercials”

     - 14 “knock, knock” jokes

     - 1 magic show

     - 20 minute music package

All this was done by a relatively small team working together for about 2 months, which could only be done because of planning the work and then working the plan.

If you’re a creative that is also responsible for delivering, there is a strange combination of hats you wear. One is a multi-colored, frumpy, bouncy, audacious hat that lets you dream and create and explore. The other is a black, stiff, non-descript hat that lets you organize, plan and stay focused on completing each task. Wear them with pride. Wear them and deliver.

PIC-OF-THE-WEEK

It was made to be driven, but it's now still and forgotten.

Doing is the key

The medium must always be in service to the content.       Blaine Hogan

If you don't have the best camera; if you don't have Photoshop; if you don't have script writing software; if you don't have a fancy keyboard; if you don't have the latest edition of Word; if you don't have a secretary.....  create anyway.

Rarely does the lack of tools restrict what we can do creatively. An entire photography book was written using only iPhone photos. Successful movies have been shot with home video recorders. One man launched his directing career by shooting a short film entirely on a DSLR camera that happened to have video capabilities.

Equipment is good. Vision is vital. Doing is the key.

PIC-OF-THE-WEEK

Around here (Columbiana, OH) the end of summer is signaled by fields of corn that rise up and stand guard for a short period of time.

 

The big Rrrrr

If you've ever sat down to create something, especially if it's for other people and has a deadline, you've probably encountered the Big R - RESISTANCE. Resistance is that unnamed source that tries to block creative output. It tries to tell you that you have no business trying to act or write or compose or draw because, well, just because.

I heard someone talking about resistance and he said that great screen writers overcome it by starting at the climax of the story - the place where everything comes together and gets resolved. Then they just write backwards and let the story unfold.

I wonder if this would work for other types of creativity? Could an artist start with the finished painting and visualize it before she starts? Could a photographer start with an idea of what subject and mood he wants before he begins taking photos? Before you start your next creative piece, take a moment to think and visualize what the perfect outcome would be. Add as much detail as you possibly can. Then move toward that outcome and let the resistance fade away.

 PIC-OF-THE-WEEK

 I like looking for "concept photos" and these signs just went together. Found them on my lunch break the other day.

Plan the work; work the plan

If you are in charge of a multi-faceted project that involves a bunch of creative pieces, I have a suggestion that will help you "ship" more effectively. I produce theatrical shows at a local theater and have a simple system for some very complex productions:

The three keys are: 1. WHAT  2. HOURS DONE  3. HOURS LEFT. Knowing what I have to do and approximately how long it will take allows me to schedule things accordingly. It clears the fog of the undone list. And, keeping track of the HOURS DONE helps for the next time. While it takes a little time to set this up and update it, the peace of mind that comes from knowing where I am in the process is worth it!

PIC-OF-THE-WEEK

I was taking a random drive south of town and found these two guys hanging out. One was nice enough to pose for me (didn't get a model release though).