FIRST IN LAST OUT
THE TENSION OF NOTHINGNESS | Todd Elliott
There is nothing quite so daunting as an empty page when you are the one responsible for filling it with something meaningful . What if my ideas are bad ? What if nobody likes it ? Wait , what if I don ’ t like it ?
For me , I notice that I try to fill the blank page in one pass . To have all my ideas fully fleshed out and ready for public consumption . However , this is not a realistic expectation . Part of the reason for the pressure I feel is that I have a deadline looming . Something has to be made because there is a drop-dead date out there when we have to have something amazing .
In her book The Creative Habit , world-renowned dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp says there is a trap we fall into “ that everything has to be perfect before you can take the next step .” This can stop us from starting to fill the empty page . It can also stop us from tinkering with every step along the way .
I would much rather edit what has already been started . Taking something and making it a little better is one of my favorite things . It also distracts me from starting the next thing . I want to make it perfect before I move onto the next step . Ms . Tharp goes on to say , “ That this form of perfectionism is more like procrastination .” Ouch .
The fear that something should be just right or perfect , can stop us from filling the next blank page . Whether that next page is for the next part of your current project or the next project itself , being trapped in the cycle of tweaking and tweaking and tweaking will only stop you from continuing to create .
Filling the blank page with the next thing is a habit that we must build . A muscle that needs to be exercised . To create when there isn ’ t any pressure . To create for the sake of creation .
Developing a routine of creation will start to build up a library of ideas . Not creativity that needs to be jammed into the next emergency creation , but ideas ready on the shelf to be accessed when needed . Build time into your schedule for putting ideas on to the blank page . Make it a regular part of your rhythm . Build the muscles of creativity on a regular basis instead of waiting until you must have an idea . This could be dialing in a new plug-in or figuring out how to use your switcher in a new way , or maybe writing a set of values for your team .
I don ’ t know about you , but the best ideas I ’ ve ever had have come from out of nowhere , or when there hasn ’ t been a pressing need for something , other than I was simply creating for myself .
Maybe 75 % of your ideas will never see the light of day . That ’ s totally fine . I ’ ve found that all ideas can help lead to the other ideas that actually get made . Let your blank page become filled with all kinds of ideas . Free yourself to dream up whatever , without the pressure of success or failure .
Todd Elliott Writer , speaker , technical artist in the local church and founder of FILO . Formerly the Technical Arts Director at Willow Creek Community Church , he started FILO in 2015 to help other technical artists become more effective so that the local church can be more effective . In his free time he enjoys being inspired by Winston Churchill speeches and visiting the gravesites of U . S . presidents . Residing near Chicago , he and his wife Bissy have three kids and a dog ... none of whom are into production . filo . org
What is FILO ? FILO ( First In Last Out ) is for technical artists who serve the local church , designed to provide skill development , community and inspiration to equip technical artists to become effective contributors to their local church .
When we ’ re more effective , the church is more effective . Whether volunteer or staff , FILO aims to provide skill development , community and inspiration to help equip technical artists to become effective contributors to their local church . FILO is a combination of the FILO Conference , FILO Blog , FILO Podcast , and personalized FILO Coaching .