{print by Mary Kate McDevitt, available here}
A couple of weeks ago, during the opening credits of Gosford Park, one particular line caught my eye.
Instead of “Based on the novel by… ” or “Based on a play by… ,” one credit simply began: “Based on an idea by...”
And I nearly paused the film because my breath was almost taken away by the fact that this Oscar-winning film, chock full of fine actors and gorgeous cinematography, became a success all because someone was brave enough to share an idea.
Someone took the time and the energy to turn a thought into a pitch into a script into a set into a film, while most of my ideas don’t leave my head.
On occasion, I’m brave enough to share my ideas with Jordan. If the idea is really good — or has just been pestering my brain long enough for me to pay attention — I share it with the friends and family I treasure. If I’m feeling especially courageous, some of my ideas wind up here, for the whole world (or all 200 of you that are listening) to see.
It takes courage, I think, to watch our ideas come to fruition, to send them out into the void to be ridiculed, dismissed, or rejected.
But if we’re lucky, if our perseverance and will are strong enough, if we’re stubborn enough: Our ideas can take on lives of their own.
They can become books and songs and photographs and plays and films.
There will still be ridicule. There will still be dismissal. There will still be rejection.
But there will also be that sigh of relief in knowing: Your idea isn’t just yours anymore. You took your idea, and you let it move and breathe and live.
You created something. Gave it its being. Without you, there wouldn’t be this: this film, this play, this photograph, this song, this book, this post.
Life takes courage. But if you give it your best shot — if you let those cooped-up ideas out to play with others — amazing things really will happen. This is what I believe.
--
And now, for the winners from book giveaway week.
Email me your address if you're a winner, please, and I'll try to have these in the mail ASAP!
Happy reading!
giveaway 1 (blue books): Jennifer from The Blair Affairs
giveaway 2 (pink books): Jessica Robinson
giveaway 3 (white books): Christianna from The Girl with the Blue Bow
giveaway 4 (yellow books): Sarah Soprano
giveaway 5 (black books): Lo from On a Whim
7 comments:
that was a really great article. Thanks for sharing!
Oh shucks, I have bad giveaway luck! Congrats to the winners though! Woohoo! :)
I love Gosford Park- thank you so much for this inspirational reminder!
Wow, Gosford Park is such a good flick. I didn't notice that it said that in the beginning. Your whole post made me smile, thanks for sharing!
And I'm so excited that I won the book bundle! I'll e-mail you my address soon!
I love that- based on an idea by. Ideas are powerful, exciting things, aren't they?
p.s. That print is amazing- what a well-executed idea that was!
so awesome! I was having a creative slump today and this inspired me to go back to some of my own really good ideas! Thanks so much!
What a lovely and thoughtful post. I'm inspired. However I can't really think of an idea of mine to tell you right now. Oh, here: I want to photographically document cereal. Because it's my favourite.
Anyway, it's my first visit here, I'm thoroughly impressed and look forward to more.
Happy blogging,
mel
I loved this post - and I completely agree with you.
My biggest problem is that I edit my ideas before I even get them on the page - I think too hard over an ending that I don't even have a beginning.
Must work on that.
Post a Comment