Shot clock
Having trouble developing an idea?
Add a shot clock to the mix to get it done.
The creative process is a funny one, at times.
In some instances, ideas flow like water rushing out of the faucet and directly onto the page.
And for others, you couldn’t buy a vowel or consonant even if you tried.
How do you combat the inability to advance an idea beyond a small nugget in your head to something that can help serve your people and grow your business?
In basketball, the offensive team has 24 seconds to advance the ball into their side of the court and attempt a shot that touches the rim.
That time constraint forces the team to effectively and efficiently work together at moving the ball around the half court in order to give themselves a high percentage attempt to score a basket.
That same time constraint can also be applied to your creative process.
This parameter forces you to think more clearly in the moment and make faster decisions that lead to you further marinate and develop the idea.
Recently, I tested this concept during a book boudoir session with The Work Before The Work.
Normally, I spent up to a half-day photographing and editing the images.
But, in this particular instance, I only had 67 minutes in between meetings to conceptualize the shots, create the photographs, and edit and upload the keepers.
Hmm, can I actually create a comprehensive image portfolio AND deliver the images in that time frame?
There’s only one way to find out :)
So, I got my hands on a couple copies of the book, grabbed my gear and explored the coworking space to find the interesting nooks and crannies to place the books for their close-ups.
The goal was to move fast, make quick decisions and create as much visual variety as possible within the time constraints - in my case, 37 minutes to shoot and 30 minutes to edit, export and upload the final images.
Here’s what was created:
It was an interesting experience being on the clock for a session like this.
I found myself getting into a flow state much quicker than normal. I also noticed that I was much more decisive when determining the amount of books in the frame, the lighting and the overall composition.
I also was way quicker to moving on from something that wasn’t working after 2-3 attempts - usually, I’m far more stubborn than that :)
On the post-production end, I observed that I was more discerning when selecting the keepers and killing my darlings.
No time to hem and haw over the results - just work with what’s there and look to enhance what the image inherently brought to the table.
Before I knew it, the photos were selected, color processed, cropped, exported and uploaded to the Cloud…
…with 1 minute left on the clock :)
If you find yourself stuck on trying to move on an important idea, add a shot clock to the mix.
This intentional parameter will add a healthy dose of pressure to the mix to help compel you into making creative decisions that you’d otherwise delay or ignore entirely.
The other key?
Be okay with whatever is created on the other side of that clock hitting zero.
The point is to get the wheels in motion, and whether or not your best work is produced, SOMETHING is produced, and that something can always be improved upon from that point moving forward.
It’s a lot easier to build from something rather than nothing.
The juice, ultimately, is worth the squeeze :)