Slow rolling motivation.

I think there are some things rolling around in the tumbler that might be picking up a little steam. Ideas that were somewhat below the surface until the last few days or so. A possibility of a new direction or two with my creative energy... and it even feels a bit sturdier than the usual imaginary delving. Fun stuff. Very vague. Still fun.

Feeble steps are still steps.

The quality of the thing sometimes isn't quite as important as the quantity of it... especially when the quantity is more than zero. Progress is important in every form. I just usually forget about that because of the life noise and all that. The funny thing about the life noise is that even though it may seem like it's competing for attention it really isn't. It's more of an immense, narcissistic force that simply wants to exist prevalently.

Chasing natural art.

There is something to be said for the work one puts into one's craft for the sake of something seemingly trivial to the public as a whole... and I will say it right now. Art is love. Art is sacrifice. Art is personal. Art is experiential. Art is education. Art is.

Parking tickets are lame.

I guess me parking for 4 hours instead of the maximum 3 was probably lame to somebody else, though, so I shouldn't complain. I just gotta pay better attention... to time. It's a life trait I am somewhat fluky with. Patience isn't always a virtue, I guess.

A job well done.

It often leads to more jobs, done well. It is always good to hear a happy client's positive commentary about the work produced for them. I am not even sure how much the actual work is even a part of the equation, too, since I expect I would be happy to help just about anyone in any situation. Certainly, a better paying client would be more beneficial... but I ain't complainin' when they aren't.

Selling ideas.

It seems to be a craft almost purely based on presentation. Ideas themselves can often elicit their own passage into the enthusiasm of a potential buyer... but I tend to think it is the sugar-coating offered by their purveyor that really gives it wheels. Sometimes it's simplicity and directness. Sometimes it's flash and form(with a little alliterative sparkle). It might be the best, however, when the combination of substance and style carry equal share of the fuel. Even that assumption could be wrong... but it does feel at least somewhat right.

Unexpected utility.

Which comes in the form of my skill diversity. I am sort of used to it at certain times of varying needs but today was a surprise that I was happy to have. It is especially nice on a day that I was expecting to be fairly boring. Sometimes you just get lucky for being skilled, I guess.

In continued search of the art.

Every day I get to practice my craft is a day I get to improve it in some way. The steps might be microscopically incremental but that is often the best step to take. And the value comes two-fold; an increase in skill/capability and an increase in maturity/experience. Occasionally, depending on the nature of the practice, it is also an increase in social connection. And maybe I am only bothering to mention this all because I am grateful for my understanding of it(which is still exceptionally limited in its scope, mind you) and I feel inclined to briefly share... maybe it has meaning to somebody else, too.

Gears in motion.

I learned today that the feature film I worked on earlier this year is almost done with its rough cut and might actually get submitted to the Sundance film festival in time for the submission deadline. It sounds like the editor is doing some pretty good cutting as well so that's exciting. I look forward to seeing how it all comes to life!

A new week begins.

And even though I have a pretty good idea how it will be starting I feel pretty vague about where it will head. I have a bit of the optimistic slant on things but not much else beyond that. There just isn't much going on at the moment. I know I really need to pick up the pace on a couple of my projects... so at least there's that.

Doin' the fun, non-dirty work.

Any time I get the chance to pull out the 'bazooka' I am in a happy place. This probably sounds strange until you know that the 'bazooka' is my gigantic lens that basically looks like its nickname. It certainly isn't the best lens I own but it is currently the one I consider the funnest to use. It's heavy, unwieldy, and somewhat complicated to use to it's strengths and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ever planning for things yet to come.

This is generally considered a good state to be in. It is importantly coupled with the completion aspect, though, which is quite often skipped due to lack of resolve, poor planning in the first place, or circumstances beyond one's control. This doesn't invalidate the planning... but it can certainly rain on the planning parade a bit if you're not paying attention to the important good that comes by planning in the first place. Each attempt brings its own rewards for sure.

Polishing the craft.

The part of the craft I don't do very often but enjoy nonetheless. Much of it hearkens back to my old graphics and photography background but much of it is somewhat new, interesting and challenging as well. A new area of self-education that I am sure experience will only teach me... repetition is king. The subtle nuance of a well-crafted product is truly its own reward.

Hunting for additional work.

My next shoot just got cancelled so I have about ten days of technical break time to fill. I do have some personal business projects to occupy a little bit of that time but I would definitely like to grab a new experience or two(compensation attached) if possible as I will certainly need to refill the coffers relatively quickly. Gotta stay ahead of the game as long as possible, eh!

The plate is basically overflowing.

And I might only be thinking it now because I have made an actual "To Do" list identifying as much of it as I could think of right now... there's probably a few things that I missed. Anyway, it seems like quite a bit to try to catch up on. My list might always be this big but I am usually oblivious/ignorant in my own way, I think. Spelling it all out helps, though, despite the increased feeling of challenge that comes along with it. The clarity is highly invaluable.

Developing the tough ideas.

It is something I enjoy doing pretty much anytime about pretty much anything. It seems especially useful when it might be a money-making idea, though, and even more so when it involves other people. And the tough ideas are potentially the place where the best ideas can be found since, by their nature, they would be less likely to be discovered by somebody else. Well, that's how it seems to be, anyway. I like thinking I come up with somewhat unique(an oxymoron?) ideas.

Two days of shooting.

It went fast but fun. I think the crew worked well and the cast was great, despite being a bunch of kids. And now begins the edit. It should only take a week to complete so we will be rewarded for our efforts more quickly than the usual production cycle usually does. I definitely look forward to the next one coming up!

Idea momentum.

Sometimes they just carry the energy they have been generating forward like the groovy good-times brain train. The only problem I have with that particular analogy is the implication that those ideas are somehow bound to a track. It might be a fine thing to do, actually, since having a track further implies a known and connected destination. Anyway, the momentum is exciting no matter how you slice it... or roll it... while burning coal inside the engine of it.

Unexpected ideas.

I can usually trace an idea that I have back to its inception and fairly easily understand where it came from and what it might have been aiming for. It's usually a practice in reverse dominoes, basically identifying the triggers for each step in the thought process and what inspired each one before it... usually a logical chain of some type. Today I had an idea that I found so entertaining so quickly that I am actually not sure what caused it exactly. I have some of the pieces together but it almost feels like a piece of unexpected chemistry leapt into the formula somewhere along the way and caused a positive reaction in my brain... so I suppose that'll just be good enough. I plan to run with the idea for a while anyway. I think it might be quite fun and challenging all at the same time!

Getting back into the rhythm.

Which is sort of misleading since a rhythm implies consistency which was not a very typical aspect of my working life to begin with. It's cool, though... I like to make some rhythm when and wherever I can. Broken rhythms are cool with me. Anyway... I enjoy my work. And even though the break was nice the work is still my friend.

The trip has ended!

I have finally returned to my computer and can resume my blogging ramblings once again. There were so few people that actually read this with any regularity that I am sure it probably isn't that big a deal. Ha. Anyway... I'm tired now so I won't start elaborating on any of my recent thoughts until tomorrow's entry... when my brain works a bit better.