FIRST IN LAST OUT
BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF TRUST | Todd Elliott
The creative process is like any good story . There is a beginning , middle and an end . There is hope . There is tension . Some conflict . Hopefully there is resolution . And everyone lives happily ever after . Right ?
In many of the creative processes I have been a part of , it basically starts with hope and ends with tension . Getting to resolution was rarely accomplished , and happily ever after only happened in the movies , to other people .
On one hand , I used to think this was normal . The process is difficult , and I just need to get used to it . As the person that generally needed to figure out how to make someone else ’ s idea happen , I felt like that was my job , so just get on with it . I viewed my role as simply a support to the people with the ideas . Being in a supportive role is not a bad thing , but for the creative process to really excel , it needs to be more of a partnership between the idea people and the technical people and not simply one group telling the other what to do and then the other just doing it .
And a partnership doesn ’ t happen without having a good deal of trust in each other . Which can be difficult to achieve .
On the surface , the two halves of our equation couldn ’ t be more different . We think differently .
We respond differently . We come at the challenges of pulling off services from very different directions . With us being so unlike each other , this can oftentimes feel like we don ’ t get along .
In reality , this giant difference is why there is so much potential in executing creativity . Those of you with the original ideas generally have a difficult time imagining how to actually get it done . For those of you good at troubleshooting and executing on an idea , you are more than happy to let someone else figure out what we ’ re doing exactly … you want to help figure out how to make it a reality .
The combination of our two sides can be unstoppable . To have people who can focus on what they ’ re designed for , developing new ideas and figuring out how to get it done , can open up the possibilities of making things .
On paper this sounds great . But in real life , this relationship can feel more confrontational . You have an idea , it gets shot down . You are working your butt off to complete a project and the idea gets tweaked , so all your work goes out the window and you need to start all over again .
Without the right perspective on how this relationship can work , we end up butting heads , getting frustrated , and feeling like the other person is not for me .
If you are the idea person , you might be worried about what will happen to your precious idea if you hand it over to someone else to execute . If you ’ re executing ideas , you are worried that your life might get ruined for the sake of an idea . Each side has a unique perspective and unique challenges that need to be considered .
THE CREATIVE : What I wish the production team knew : How difficult it is to have ideas .
Having an original thought is rare . Even a semioriginal idea can be near impossible . Right from the start , creating something new is tough . Then , for the idea to have a life beyond just the one in your head , it needs to be shared with others .
What if people hate the idea ? Beyond that , what if it is actually a bad idea ? It is a part of you , and you ’ re really attached to it … and it is attached to you . Whether you like it or not , some of your identity is wrapped up in the idea , which is an extra layer to complicate the process .
Now you want to perform this idea in front of a bunch of people ? Madness .
But unless we actually execute an idea , it remains just that … an idea . The goal of the