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Vox Populi: Reasons to Quit
grant balfour | Nov 12 2007
I have a lot of trouble keeping track of what I'm supposed to be doing. It's not that I necessarily have trouble prioritizing my tasks or scheduling things - I mean I do, but that's not the main problem. The main problem is that I've got too many things I really need (want) to do - too many long-term projects with potential - and I'm never exactly sure when they're a few weeks away from a grand payoff and when they're just wasting my time. I suppose this is a crisis of faith. Here's the thing: I'm creative for a living, which means I always have two or three (or 20 or 30) things going on at once, none of which are guaranteed to actually create anything, but all of which could - provided I can focus enough attention to them. You know the kind of thing I'm talking about. Finishing that screenplay. Practicing with the band. Re-editing that short story. Spending the weekend on a film shoot. Learning Photoshop. These are all things that have that point in the middle - the "desperate hour," a creative journalist friend of mine called it - when you're absolutely not sure why you're even there. And sometimes, the sad truth is, that doubting voice is absolutely right - sometimes, this thing you're sweating over really is just wasting your time. So here's my question: How do you know when it's time to move on? What makes you make up your mind? Because I really need to know. 21 Comments
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 Logical Order and ConsolidationSubmitted by oranse on November 12, 2007 - 9:25pm.
It seems to me like you really want to make films. All of the things you are interested in are elements of filmmaking. Reign it all in. If you want to write a short story, then write one that you can write into a screenplay and shoot yourself. Learn Photoshop to make your film's poster and graphics. Have your band write and record the original music for the film. Unite all of your interests into one common goal. The completed film. My favorite football team got slaughtered this past weekend. The coach asked the players after the game, "How many of you play video games" Hands went up all over the lockerooom. Then the coach said, "How many of you quit and reset the game if you are losing" Hands remained in the air, and the coach responded, "Thats what losers do, they quit when they are losing" You dont have to write an award winning short story, you just have to write one you can turn into a screenplay. You never quit, the next task depends on the current task to be completed, thats all. The screenplay doesnt have to wow agents and studios it just has to be something you can shoot. Comeplete the screenplay, move on to the next step. Shooting the movie and then the fun stuff Photoshop and music. You never quit. You show your film to friends or you put it up on Youtube and start thinking about your next story. And how to write it out as a short story. Then you turn it into a screenplay... Thats what us filmmakers do - EVERYTHING! Oranse Taylor http://www.youtube.com/oranse » POSTED IN:
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