Strong as an Oak

I recently overheard someone in my office of independent filmmakers, making a business call. I know for this person, it is not easy to talk on the phone.

I completely forgot about what I was doing and thought “ooh I like talking on the phone! I want to do that!”

I instantly realised that I was working on things that do not come naturally to me and the person making the phone call is doing the same. I then realised that right now all of us in the Initiative are doing things we have never done before and/or are not naturally good at.

Then like getting slapped in face with a dead fish the truth hit me.

This is a time of growth.

Growth is a funny thing. I’m learning it’s never quite as simple as a to b to c all the way to z. If I were to put it into some sort of order it might look more like a-b-m-a-h-w-d-l-k-f-x-e-s-…-z.

I think watching movies has played into my flawed thinking. A character starts out messed up and then at the end of 90 or so minutes their life is changed and everything is perfect. Yay!

It has taken me a long time to realise growth doesn’t happen in 90 or so minutes but happens every time you make a decision. And from what I hear that won’t stop till the day we are sleeping with the fishes.

Doing something like working with a film production is hard/interesting because it’s inconsistent. I don’t always know what I’ll be doing from one day to the next. Everyday I have a choice to give up or face every task with joy, optimism, courage and grow whether I think I’m naturally good at something or not. It really doesn’t matter.

Well I’ve done my part now it’s up to you. How can you embrace growth in your life as a creative?