Hitting the Wall

I'm putting together a documentary project and I've hit a wall. Based on the subject matter, there are 2 companies that could finance it. Company A has agreed to donate some seed money which is enough to begin but not complete the film. Company B has access to many of the important subjects but is not interested in putting up any money. Because of the competitive nature of the industry, Company B has said that if I take Company A's money, they will not participate meaning I would lose some important interviews.

Now what?

Oftentimes in the idea development process, we hit a wall. There's a great Arab saying that goes, "When you must decide between two difficult choices, choose the third." But how do you even discover a new path when you perceive your options as limited?

This post, we'll look at how to define the nature of the wall (it is usually inside of us) because oftentimes in the process of assessment, ways to sidestep or dissolve the wall become apparent. It's usually when we allow the wall to be vague that it feels enormous and is capable of controlling us.

If we look at this doc project, I cannot do anything about the 2 companies and their positions but when I look at what I can control - my own beliefs about the project - I see clearly a thorn in my side. I have a belief that I need Company B's contacts. I realize this is an opinion and not a fact. Though they are an aspect of the story, they are not the only aspect. I now have a choice instead of a wall.

Look at your idea and write down all the next steps that you can imagine. Take each one and write down your reactions to each step. Which reactions are concrete facts and which are your beliefs?

Someone submitted an idea about filming dowsing meetings because he was interested in capturing the spiritual content there. He asked the question, "What can I do to make this happen?"

Whether or not he has any experience making videos, I believe he has everything he needs to make this idea happen. But his question shows that he believes otherwise. Perhaps he has a specific belief that he is not a cameraman or a more general one like he doesn't know how to do this. This can definitely be paralyzing. But it's not true.

What I would say is track down a mini-DV camera and begin filming the meetings yourself. If nobody has a camera he can borrow, it is possible to rent them affordably in almost every major city. Take that footage and put it on youtube. All of a sudden, he's got a youtube channel on dowsing at very minimal expense.

If the meetings are happening in other cities, put an ad on craigslist or call a local college. There are abundant affordable resources out there that are available now via the internet in a way that is unprecedented. Go on google!

This leads to my second step in dissolving the wall. Usually, it involves learning something. It may be as personal as learning to believe that you can or it may be more concrete like learning how to write a business plan (there are plenty free samples on-line if you look).

I know in my core that we are all capable of learning anything if the motivation is there.

Recently, my toilet started running but the expense of hiring a plumber plus the belief that I could never, ever, no way ever fix it myself held me hostage for days. Finally, worry about my water bill motivated me to call the plumber for an estimate. When he saw the problem, he told me to go to Home Depot. They had a kit, he said. I felt a pang of fear in my gut. Realizing life was telling me that I had to do this myself, I took the plunge and drove to the store. Sure enough, they had a kit there for $20. At home, I followed the directions which were surprisingly straightforward. Empty the water from the tank, remove the broken fill valve, install the new one. Exhilaration is the only word to describe the feeling of that first, successful flush.

For those of you out there who are not afraid of your toilets, this may not seem like a big deal but to me, it was life-changing because it was empowering. (More power is always handy) Although you may not be stopped by plumbing issues, what is stopping you and what do you need to learn to make your dreams come true?

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

1. Write down 10 (or more) possible next steps that need to be taken to move your idea forward.

2. For each step, write down 5 reactions that come up, both positive (I can do this and when you will do it) and negative (I can't because...)

3. Write down 1 thing you need to learn to move your idea forward and how/where you will learn this. Remember, Google is always a great place to start.

4. Post your response, what did you learn from doing this exercise?

Keep creating!

Susie Arnett

Idea Coach

Your Idea's Logline

Welcome to your very own on-line idea group. You are part of a community of creators who are all moving their ideas forward. Everyone has an idea but when you come to this site, you will find tools and tips and methods to do something about it.

Each post will offer an insight into the idea development process and end with a homework assignment. Your task is to go out there and do it! Then, report back. Share your homework and also share your process - what's working and what's not.

Before we get into this week's topic, some ground rules. If you are inspired by a member's ideas, only positive feedback please. And the other rule is about privacy. Some people love to share their ideas and some don't. Please find your own comfort level for the details you want to divulge about your idea. But again, please fully share your process - what's helping and what's holding you back - because that is often much more helpful than the specifics of any one idea. And of course, no stealing or poaching.

I am always amazed by the diversity and passion of people's ideas. And I notice, too, some common blocks.

At some point, everyone asks the question, "What now?" Whether you only have a thought or you've got your idea prototyped, how you handle this question - at any stage of the process - determines your idea's future.

Notice whether you respond to this moment with helplessness or curiosity. If it feels like a wall and not a game, there are steps you can take to dissolve it.

The first step is to be extremely clear about what your idea is. For example, Lynn writes that she wants to sell sprouts in Mexico. But what's the product or service? Does she want to start a sprout farm, be the middleman selling someone else's sprouts, or become the Julia Child of sprouts and write a cookbook. Depending on the passions and resources of the creator, a choice must be made, at least to begin with. Being specific about your idea always helps clarify next steps.

Therefore, in this first post, I ask you to write a logline for your idea.

(Everyone's ideas are at different levels so if you've already made a prototype or developed it further, try revisiting this step to see if you can discover a new way of thinking about your idea.)

Some of you may have heard of the word, logline. If not, it's how movie people sum up their films in one sentence. Here's a logline for one of the most successful films of the last decade... A young man and woman from different social classes fall in love aboard an ill-fated voyage at sea. Can you guess the movie? The Titanic.

For example, this on-line idea group began as an idea. My goal is to create "an online group to help move its members' ideas forward". Pretty simple, right? It shouldn't be complicated. Elements to include are the product, the buyer, and the juice that brings the two together.

It may take pages and pages of journaling about your idea to come up with it. Another woman wrote that she wanted to make handmade soaps and offer women who can't work outside the home the opportunity to package them. Is she in the soap business? Or the franchise business?Is she marketing to spas or mothers?

Once you've written this, you must embody your logline. I recommend finding some privacy and speaking your logline as loudly as you can, editing it if necessary until it feels just right.

Record yourself speaking it. Let go of any self-consciousness. Remember, it's not about you and your vocal quality...it's about your idea.

This process of naming your idea out loud is a powerful one and will help carry your vision through the ether to all the invisible forces that support us in manifesting our dreams. Sing your idea into being. Record it, dance it, write it on the mirror in your bathroom. Gather it from your own essence and bring it forth so you can examine it. Read it like a rune. Revel in it.

In the next post, we will look at how to take this logline and flesh it out into an effective business plan or proposal.

Week 1 - Homework Assignment

1. Write your idea's logline and speak it out loud.

Some thoughts - call your own phone and leave it on the answering machine, go to the woods or beach and scream it out to mother nature. Vocalize it in an unexpected way. Have fun with it. Then, let us know how it affected you.

Normally there will only be one homework topic but since we're beginning, please also write down and share with the group one goal you would like to accomplish by the end of the 6 weeks. You may find that this gets edited over the next few weeks but carve out a starting goal for yourself.

Best,

Susie Arnett

Idea Coach