FIRST IN LAST OUT
THE SECRET TO CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING | Todd Elliott
There is a point in every creative process when an idea stops being just an idea and it needs to turn into an actual thing . This is where most ideas stall . It is one thing to have an idea . It is another thing entirely to actually turn the idea into something . Starting the process of executing an idea is a huge step , requiring lots of hard decisions and fumbling around for solutions . It is also the time to start involving other people in the process . People with opinions . People with time constraints . People who may not fully understand the vision .
It is also a time for the technical among us to finally get our hands on this idea and start making it happen .
These factors all lead to potential issues . And this is where trust in each other starts coming into play . Whatever the state of trust looks like , it will play a huge factor in this part of the process . To trust that we are for each other . To trust that each side is looking out for the best in the other side . To trust that we ’ re talking about ideas and not each other ’ s character . Last December , someone asked me about how to make sure their Christmas production went well from a process standpoint . My first reaction was that it was too late . My second thought was that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago or today . It is never too late to work on trust , but trust is something that needs to be worked into the routine everyday , not just when you ’ re building up to a big idea .
We need to be practicing every day , in small ways , trust in each other . Not only do we need to look for ways to trust the other person , we need to also work on how to be trustworthy ourselves .
How can we create an environment where we believe the best in each other ? Working on this now will create the best conditions for creating ideas together in the future .
Todd Elliott Todd is a
writer , speaker , technical artist in the local church and founder of
FILO , which stands for First In , Last Out . FILO was born out of his own need as a technical artist in the local church to be in community with other church tech people , to learn new ways of doing things and to be inspired that what he did mattered . The more FILO-type people he met , the more convinced he was that these are things we all need . That ’ s why FILO exists : to equip , encourage and inspire technical artists in the local church to become the best version of ourselves . 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