Work In Colour - Work. Think. Live. In Colour
Wednesday 19th May 2010 | 20 comments
OK, let's start this post by getting an apology out of the way. Some of you will have attended one of my presentations or done coaching with me, and if so, it's just possible you heard me say that being creative is easy, that all you have to do is get out of your own way and it will just happen.
Well I was wrong. And I am sorry if I misled you.
Last week, I did an amazing 3-day workshop at Thinkspace at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. It was about digital storytelling and the end result was that we each made a little movie. A snap, I thought.
Not so.
It was bloody hard. The technology, the demands of the story, the personal disclosure required, the inner critic, the time pressure, the layers of story and pictures and music...If it hadn't been for my great teachers - Peter, Oscar and Kazum, take a bow - I would have fled in horror. My sense of overwhelm rose steadily as the days went by.
By the end of day two, I was seriously despairing. I wasn't sleeping, I felt quite panicked and I was bereft of inspiration, or even enthusiasm, if truth be told. I decided definitely at about 1am (and at 2am, 3am and 4am) that I just wouldn't go back, and I very nearly stayed away. (But I did go back, I did.)
And while this story has a happy ending, it isn't a fairy tale - I didn't have anything finished to show off at the end of day three. I did take my work away and finish it over the weekend, though, and here it is. It's my first effort, so don't judge it too harshly, but do let me know what you think. It ended up being a most satisfying process and I'm sure I will be inspired to make more little movies.
Just as soon as I recover from this one.
Tag: creativity
I bloody LOVED it!
Bloody good onya!
P. :)
Well done! Glad that you persisted with your Escape Hatch... I want to know more.
P.S Love the piano music.
I really admire your candour and always appreciate your work.
Thank you for the continued, selfless sharing of your life experience.
well done!! :-)
Joanna...well done! This is lovely and a journey so many people never take. Perhaps you may one day be able to add "movie director" to your list...stick with it! Cheers Denise
Joanna,
This looks awesome! Simple, and concise, yet beautifully composed. It is most definitely a work to be proud of!
Your persistence, and dedication to the project mirrors your attitude to your work!
We hope to see you back at Powerhouse Museum soon!
Regards,
Oscar
Digital Media Tutor
Powerhouse Museum
Wow! Joanna... yes, I am one of those people in one of your courses who came away having spent the day with you at Rozelle thinking that in your world creativity and project management is a breeze! This film is great... helpful for me as a teacher to see the use and scope of Digital Storytelling, but also inspiring and real as it discloses the reality of the struggle to be creative and the courage it takes. Thanks!
Wow, thank you all! I went for a walk after putting this online, and when I came back, here you all were. Thanks for your encouragement and kind words...so very much appreciated!
Great Story Joanna.
I'm interested to know how you feel about the time and expectation pressure and whether you feel they affected your creativity. Did they water it down or just make you focus more?? Do you think you would like to do an expanded version, or Is this a Time and Place work?
As usual - thought provoking and inspirational!
Cheers, Alan
Alan, what an excellently provocative question! I have had to think about it for a small while. I think that the time and pressure actually forced me through a funnel, so I had to produce an idea or two - and I had to commit to it as a project. I couldn't just let it drift.
Once I was in flow with it though, I rejected the time pressure and refused to produce a half-baked effort for the notional deadline. But because I was by then committed, I had no difficulty in taking it home and spending a deal of time over the weekend getting it to the current stage.
As for an expanded version, not now - having mastered the basics of the format and the software, I am keen to try something new. I might well come back to it over time, though! Thanks for the invitation to think about all this..
My son is asleep and I have reached the last stages of a major work project. My "hook" to finish this is the chance to continue other areas of creativity. As usual your emails are so encouraging - amongst the first I open - but especially this one. Not only does your digital storytelling have a real impact, but you show that with real persistence and a belief in your creativity - this is the true reward. Fabulous.....off to sleep now.
Tanya, thank you for your lovely comments. Good luck with your project - I often think of all the people all over the planet doing their creative thing, whatever that might be...like little twinkling lights in the face of an often indifferent darkness :)
Beautiful and inspiring, thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Annette, glad you enjoyed it..
Hi Joanna, Loved the glowing fireworks! I'm with Oscar ... the story is concise AND very elegant, with good connection between images and story . The message for me is persist, persist, persist . Good to keep in mind with my exhibition on the horizon! You most definately practice what you preach and that is an inspiration for all of us. You deserve a big gold star sticker on this great work!
Good to hear from you, Fiona. I hope your exhibition is coming together more easily than my movie did! Good luck with it all...
Hey Joanna, Congrats! I especially loved the 80's hair a-la Farah Fawcett style. We all dream but seldom take the step of faith and bravery you plunged deep into. My sensible black suit is turning shades of fuscia some days so let's see where some of yuor inspiration will rub off!
Thanks Junita - I have seen your fuschia side and have total faith that it will win out...
Nice story Joanna. Thanks for sharing this. Your journey in 4 minutes! With all that you've done you may want to consider a full-length feature! Just kidding ... for now!
Thanks, Ben. I'm pretty sure neither my life nor my talent would sustain a full-length film :), but it's a thought...