creative process is to make stuff . And in order to do that , we need to let go of our idea and share it with others who can help make it happen .
Let ’ s say you ’ ve decided to make it this far with your idea . You ’ ve trusted others enough to share your idea . This is only the beginning . If a foundation of trust is to be built between you and your counterpart , you have to become trustworthy in the process to execute the idea .
You can ’ t just walk away and expect it to just happen . The people pulling off your idea need your engagement throughout the process . You also can ’ t place the value of your idea above all else . You will need to learn how to embrace all the factors , people , tweaks along the way that will require your idea to morph and change as it meets reality .
The team making your idea happen needs to know that they aren ’ t simply a means to an end , but a vital partner in the process of creating together .
THE TECHNICAL : What I wish the creative team knew : How difficult it is to execute your ideas . If you ’ re in the mode of simply doing what someone asks without question , this can be a tough place to be . As someone who occupied this space for many years , I made a huge assumption that people knew how crazy their ideas were and how difficult they would be to pull off .
Right from the start , if someone gives you a task to accomplish , you want to take that idea and knock it out of the park . You want to crush it . But with so many unknowns , it can be difficult to feel confident of a positive outcome . As a result , you can tend to shoot down ideas too quickly because you don ’ t have a full proof solution .
You don ’ t want to let anyone down , so you try very hard to create boundaries to keep the idea inside what you already know how to do . This can come out as just a lot of “ No ’ s ”, which really slows down the creative process and doesn ’ t lend itself to the levels of trust we need to create something amazing together .
If we are shutting down ideas , we ’ ve got nothing to execute . We need ideas . We need good ideas . We need to help draw out the good ideas , not squash them . We then need to bring our own creativity to the table to turn those ideas into a thing .
But if I want to trust that the idea people aren ’ t going to run me over with their ideas , I need them to trust me . And what does it mean to be trustworthy as a production person ? Do my job . I ’ m talking about the stuff that has nothing to do
with a specific idea , but stuff that just needs to get done . I ’ m talking about the parts of your job that nobody else cares about but are vital to a successful event .
Batteries changed . Lights aimed at the right stuff . Videos checked before the service . Stage swept and orderly . For there to be a foundation of trust to build upon , we need to be willing to place our trust in others . And for that to happen , each of us needs to become worthy of that trust .
In what ways could you be more actively trustworthy to the people you work with ? How can you show your trust in the people you are in partnership with ?
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 .