As independent filmmakers, we often think that our creative inspirations come from ourselves. I happen to think the opposite. I believe that there is a pool of creativity, a collective conscious if you will, that we can all tap into anytime we are “still” enough to find it. Yes, we are all unique, but when it comes to creativity, the people we surround ourselves with can often make or break our creative success.

People who spend their time wrapped around ideologies that do not align with ours are likely to be a hinderance to tapping into that wonderful creative pool. This is not always true and certainly must be decided on a case by case basis, but in order for creative magic to happen while filmmaking, it really helps if everyone is on the same wave length.

“At the beginning of a day of shooting, it is like there is a great gorge with thousands of feet down to some watery, rocky death. And you begin working and build a glass bridge across this gorge and only after you have gotten to last piece in place, it turns to steel.” – David Lynch

You see, we do our best work when we are surrounded with people who align with the ideas and concepts that our movie is trying to portray. If the people involved in the film are only partially signed on to the premise of it, then the end result cannot help but be lesser quality than if everyone was inspired by the core principals of the film.

This is not to say that someone who has different views than mine cannot participate in any of my films. Rather, it is to say that I just need to be sure they are aligned with the premise and creative goal of my film before I decided to include them in the agonizingly hard creative process of making a meaningful film.

Yes, we can all be professional and “do” the job at hand, but if our heart is not in it, the magic has less of a chance of happening. Making films is extremely hard work, so why waste anyones time trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Let’s be honest with each other and have meaningful discussions about what we love doing and what stirs us deeply so we can forge better friendships and ultimately create better films.

I hope this post stirs discussion about your creative process and ways that all our films can have the best chance for success. Please leave me a comment if you so inclined. I always enjoy hearing other filmmakers.

The Sandpoint Filmmakers Network shares information freely regardless of your your skill level or personal views and I hope you will consider becoming a part of this growing community of visual creatives in Sandpoint, Idaho. The “Join” button is at the bottom of the page.

Take care of each other out there…