The stink of a shoestring budget is…that there isn’t a budget. The limitations of running on a zero bottom line force you to be creative. Having nothing forces you to find something else as collateral.   I recently worked on a project where there were too many choices. The lighting could change, the lenses could be […]

Concessions take a toll. Compromise can be a tough pill to swallow. Especially if you see yourself as the vision of the project. Don’t lose heart in such moments. Take heart. It is very likely that you are holding on too tight. Most projects are better with a team. Not all, but most.   And if

I, The People Person  In Latin the phrase memento mori means “remember, you must die”.   There are a lot of popular culture references to it now, and you have probably seen an emblem of it somewhere.   What it boils down to is that no one is going to wait for you to get

In order to finish, you have to be there when it ends.  It seems like such a simple idea, but in practice finishing anything takes a toll.  Every project gets complicated.  You want what’s best, even when what’s best doesn’t always seem tangible.  New, shiny, ideas take shape and come to life in your mind. They

Awards are neat. They typically matter more to those who haven’t won them yet.  They offer validation and recognition of hard work. But they can also take the wind out of your sails when you get them.  After you win, people always ask you what’s next.  Can you repeat it? Where do you go from

Worrying about something isn’t the same as working on something.  Recently, I’ve been on a few projects where others have told me that they’re just slammed with work, and they don’t have time to get anything done.  What I’ve found out is that what is taking up so much of their time…is that they are

One of my favorite history lessons is about failure. Over 100 years ago, Sir Ernest Shackleton captained what is considered one of the most spectacular failures. As far as failures go, it is a successful one though. Are you still with me? His ship, Endurance, became trapped in the shifting grip of pack ice and

I’d like to say that everything I know about art, I learned from running. But, I think a more appropriate statement is, “everything I apply to my art, I learned from endurance.” It’s not that I was a great runner. I wasn’t.  I’m still not. That isn’t the point. To be frank, I’m not a

Time… is not on your side. That will not change.  Creativity is a fickle beast.  Sometimes it strikes when you aren’t ready, and if you don’t act on it…it’s gone If you don’t write it down. If you don’t draw it out.  If you don’t capture it. It’s just gone.  The crap luck of that,

I’d like to take a moment to list the qualifications that you need to be a creative. 1. (Expletive) End of list.  What you need is a desire to create and a willingness to put up with all the B.S. (read as B-S) in order to see your project through.  Sometimes the art itself is