Wednesday, November 21, 2007

blank canvas/messy canvas

As I wind up my fifth day freelancing at Current, and my second day of double shifts, the thought crossed my clouded and overworked brain as to whether it's easier to take a story that is a total mess and fix it, or to start fresh with a blank canvas and create something out of nothing. I suppose if the story you're working with has good elements, there must be some salvageable nuggets that a little bit of crafting can extract from the wreckage. Then again, why pick up the pieces when you can create something smooth and seamless from the get-go? Is it too much to ask for good clean audio, crisp and pretty HD footage, a well-thought-out script? I lean toward the blank canvas. Starting anew seems more inviting and promising than making sh** smell good.

Clearly there is a correlation with life experience here, not just editing good and bad stories. In this midnight hour, I apply the analogy to my choices, my relationships, my current and future endeavors. Somehow when it comes to your own experiences, it seems harder to go out and buy a new pair of shoes when all you need to do is scrape the sh** off the old ones. A nice polish and they'll be as sparkly and pretty as the ones in the shop window.

Enough ramblings and analogies. I must now continue to make this sad excuse for a story that lays in front of me fresh and exciting.

1 comment:

Mom said...

Wow! I love it!

In art, I think I prefer the messy canvas to work from. But in relationships... well, I prefer the messy one there, but I think our culture leans towards always opting for the new one. Buy new shoes when the old ones get shit on them as you say.

I saw Licence to Wed on the plane. (very bad) In it, when the couple are separated (near the end at the crisis point), the best friend says to the groom "there are lots of fish in the sea, move on." the groom says "Sadie isn't a fish."