Use What You've Got

So I'm pimping my kids, right?  They've got all this talent, creativity and mad skills, ya know, camera ready and everything.   Seriously, I hope I don't turn into one of these crazed, obsessed stage parents or something, living off my children, bankrolling their paychecks....   Well actually, I'm only halfway serious.  What I'm really doing is this.

A few months ago, I decided that it was time to take a different approach with my career.  I'm a father of 3 wonderful kids, two boys and one girl, all creative and highly inventive beings.  They are probably three of the most creative people I know, and they get that from both sides of the family.  Mama's a writer, musician and speaker, and I of course being the creative genius that I am, do what I do.  I know I'm probably biased, blinded by love for my children and myself for that matter, but I'm also a realist and I do know talent when I see it.  I pull no punches when it comes to talent or ability, even with them.  "Talent don't matter," I say.  Talent may get you through the door, but practice, hard work and dedication to your art will keep you from getting booted out the other side.  

So what I decided to do was to start a family project, one that would utilize my skills and abilities, and at the same time challenge my kids to tap into their own creative energies.  I wanted a way to guide them in their burgeoning skills as artists and to create something substantial together with them.  And it all started with an idea my 6 year old son Quentin and then 3 year old daughter came up with on their own.  Noelle is 4 now.  Time sure flies.

Quentin and Noelle created a show, a normal dress up kids show that all parents have to sit through and endure no matter how good or bad it really is.  With my kids though, regardless of the subject matter, it's always entertaining and good for quite a few laughs.  But after several performances, I guess Quentin, a natural showman, felt the need to top himself.  He needed something flashier with more flair and pizazz.  So he talked to Noelle and they came up with a new version of their show.  Now this is a 4 and a 6 year old we're talking about here, so it ain't deep.  Basically they just repackaged the old show by adding the word SUPER onto it.  Yeah... I know what you're thinking.  They should work in Hollywood right?  That's exactly what I thought!  I'm sure they'd fit right in.  So now for some reason this idea sparked something in my mind.  Immediately I saw that it had potential, and could really be something awesome for the family to work on . 

Now this thing has developed from a simple collaboration between two kids and has blossomed into a full fledged project.  My whole family is now in full collaboration mode, working together on something we had no inkling about just a few months ago.  Now I am acting as an executive producer and my kids are helping with the writing, the artwork, the music, costumes, sound FX, etc.  They are honestly involved in every phase to some degree with this.  They are learning how to produce along with me, by doing it themselves.  My wife is also lending her skills as an actress and musician towards the endeavor.  

Quentin is not only one of the stars of the show, but he's also the head artist.  He made several designs, drew up some sketches for me which I then took into photoshop and tweaked slightly.  I'm sure to maintain the original intent with all of his work so that they are indeed his creations and not mine.   This is one of his evil robot creations below.  

My oldest son Jon II is acting as chief writer.  At 8 he's very opinionated and detailed in his ideas.  He has shot down several of my good ideas so far.  I mean, the nerve!  And I'm like, what??  I cannot believe that you don't like......   Anyway,  regardless of my rejected ideas, I make sure that everything works together for the good of the story, because I am the producer after all, and it's all about collaboration.

My daughter is not so much involved in the production process but she is very interested in acting, so this is an opportunity for her to do that.  She has selected and designed her own costumes.  At 4, she knows exactly what she wants to look like.  And when I design things for her on the computer, she gives me the thumbs up or thumbs down, nixes my color choices, or tells me I'm doing a good job.  So far the progress for them is slow, but they see it developing over time and are excited to see the end result.

Super Fire Ninja Quentin and his Jet Pack

On a side note, I read to my kids at night before bedtime like many parents .  But I also tell them stories off the top of my head, stuff I make up on the fly.  They seem to like those better than the books, because they never know what's coming next.  Sometimes they shout out situations for me to insert into the storyline, which challenges me more than anything.  Improv is a beast, but it stretches the mind.  On rare occasion I tell a story that doesn't work, or it's a big flop, boring and unimaginative.  Thankfully that doesn't happen often.   But improvised storytelling is an exercise that forces me to think quickly, to be able to adjust at a moments notice.  But the key thing is that it instills in my kids an inert understanding of the creative process.  It also helps them to think outside the box and to use their imaginations to weave a story that is cohesive and that works on many levels.

So what I've learned is this.  Use what you've got.  What is in your hand?  What is in your house?  What is in your circle?  What are the resources that you have available to you here and now that you can use to propel your creative process.  It's not always about computer programs or instruments or doodads and whatnot. It's about ingenuity.  About listening to that creative voice inside all of us.  It's about using what you have to create a masterpiece of your own design.  It doesn't matter if it stinks or if it looks a mess, it's a starting point, a place to begin.  Art is in the eye of the beholder anyway.  We just try to do our best. And if we like it, odds are that someone else will too.

Leave a comment.  Let me know what you think.