A DIY girl at heart, one of things I love about doing things on my own is not having to wait for other people. My preferred speed is fast (easier to dodge my feelings that way), and finishing projects well, or maybe more like all the things that come after finishing have been a challenge for me in the past because my mind is often working out about six months ahead of where I currently stand.
But not this time.
This time there's nothing taking shape ahead of me, just a big feelings soup to swim in. Instead of racing ahead there's a slow, quiet listening for guidance through the next stretch of dark.
Even while the Indie Kindred Tour was still going, I received requests from all kinds of people in all kinds of places asking about the possibility of hosting all kinds of screenings. An indie film theater, art retreat hosts, fundraiser events--you name it.
Here's something you may not have thought about yet: This being my first film project also means that I don't have experience distributing films.
I tried to imagine a Silver Bullet Solution that would be everything for everyone. But it was a complex problem. When you purchase a DVD, for instance, that purchase only grants you licensing for a private home screening. (NOT for PTA school fundraisers or any other event that occurs outside your home environment or that uses the screening to generate income.)
Add to the mix the rapid way our relationship with media is changing (streaming streaming streaming), and you can start to get a rough sketch of the code I've been trying to crack since last fall.
In order to take the next step (not the final step, not the ultimate one--just the next one), I've had to really sink into the journey element of this dilemma and learn how to tell when it's Time to Wait and when it's Time to Move.
It's Time to Wait when:
- You want to explore partnerships and possibilities. Partnerships and collaborations take time--not only to find and learn one another but to give multiple journeys a chance to unfold side by side for a season--long enough to see if they might be heading in the same direction and if so, what that direction might be.
- You want or need to address complexity. This goes for problems or decisions that you need to approach like an onion, peeling back and uncovering one layer at a time.
- You're a beginner. It takes time to learn a new medium, to build a different structure, to chisel your way through any learning curve.
A few red flags to watch for: Sometimes the waiting becomes the safe place where you start choosing by not choosing, or the incompletion starts eating at you instead of teaching you an awesome lesson in patience. Signs like these bring you to next part.
It's Time to Move when:
- Chasing the Silver Bullet Solution is slowing you down.
- You realize possibilities once waited on aren't going to work. (Either because of timing, method, a mis-match, etc.)
- Outside deadlines call for action.
- You start to feel soul sick from holding onto the project too long.
Deciding it's Time to Move can trigger a big gulp. All those fears you've harbored about Getting It Right, or Dear God What Will Your Life Be On The Other Side Of This will suddenly throw a big party and invite only you in for a dance.
But when it truly is Time to Move, if you are brave enough to go, energy that has been trapped or lying dormant will release and awaken. Yes, it will mean letting something go. But it will also mean being able to finally step back and have the distance to see and celebrate all that has led up to right now.
Photo by Bella Cirovic
Jen Lee is the director and producer of Indie Kindred, a new documentary that offers an intimate look at creative collaboration among independent artists. Find more of her writing and resources for off-map makers and thinkers at: jenleeproductions.com.