There is a point in every creative process when an idea stops being just an idea and it needs to turn into an actual thing. This is where most ideas stall. It is one thing to have an idea. It is another thing entirely to actually turn the idea into something. Starting the process of executing an idea is a huge step, requiring lots of hard decisions and fumbling around for solutions. It is also the time to start involving other people in the process. People with opinions. People with time constraints. People who may not fully understand the vision.
It is also a time for the technical among us to finally get our hands on this idea and start making it happen.
These factors all lead to potential issues. And this is where trust in each other starts coming into play. Whatever the state of trust looks like, it will play a huge factor in this part of the process. To trust that we are for each other. To trust that each side is looking out for the best in the other side. To trust that we’re talking about ideas and not each other’s character.
Last December, someone asked me about how to make sure their Christmas production went well from a process standpoint. My first reaction was that it was too late. My second thought was that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago or today. It is never too late to work on trust, but trust is something that needs to be worked into the routine everyday, not just when you’re building up to a big idea.
We need to be practicing every day, in small ways, trust in each other. Not only do we need to look for ways to trust the other person, we need to also work on how to be trustworthy ourselves. How can we create an environment where we believe the best in each other? Working on this now will create the best conditions for creating ideas together in the future.
Interested in joining a community of other technical artists trying to create healthy environments where we can believe the best in each other? Check out our new FILO Coaching Cohorts launching soon! Join the wait list for the first opportunity to sign up.
