The Video Creation Story
It was never doubtful to me that joy was a power worth using. The problem was how to explain it to others. After 30 years there was finally a catalytic convergence when 3 concepts clicked into place and the explanation process was clear. It would’ve made a good presentation but in 2020 that wasn’t possible. A video was. A friend heard the pitch and supported both it and calling in a mutual friend – a professional videographer. Their willingness to voluntarily take this on as a group project is how the video exists.
From the start it was clear: the video had to elicit a joyful feeling despite the content being informational; we needed to use the principles explained in the video to create it; to sustain a positive frequency the overall process had to be joyful; and it was going to be a personal growth experience. (ed. It was!)
We started off on the right footing. Each of us was equal in importance. We were a tripod. A talking stick assured being heard should that be a problem. (ed. It was needed! See photos.) Of course there were other challenges, many ego-based, (joy, in contrast, is ego-less). Those triggered reactions, processing, growth and invariably a return to the joy track. The standing joke inspired by real life circumstances was “ A Virgo, an Aires and a Scorpio walk into a bar on a full moon…”
Because the video addresses masculine/feminine balance, we were able to identify when things became unbalanced. The balanced Yin/Yang symbol served as compass. Interestingly we saw masculine dominant characteristics emerge regardless of gender (in the other of course). That we could address that openly amongst us attests to our safe bond and willingness to grow.
There were 3 of us. If two agreed but not the 3rd, the 3rd acquiesced. This applied to almost every questionable issue. Having a 3rd as ‘decider’ moved us past a lot of sticky moments. It turned out to be a critical role. If we had only been 2 we likely wouldn’t have made it beyond the first impasse. The BIG sticky spots we worked through until a solution emerged, devoting several meetings to resolving them if necessary.
So the process was as important as the product. This was illustrated at one extremely frustrating point when I was okay to drop the project to lose the frustration because I’d already benefitted immensely. The group experience and the process of growth to that point had been rich. (Obviously the moment required more growth and the project continued.)
The process was important too for forging a different way of working together because that’s what the video urges. We were all 3 aware of that but beginners. We managed though, with our ultimate bottom-line of choosing the way of open hearts and open-minds. It got us through to a video we all love.
It cost us virtually nothing but time and many take-out dinners to produce (thanks largely to Chris Carter, our volunteer videographer) and is a gift we give freely – a seed of joy in the field.
Hopefully this seed leads to an understanding of the power of your joy and the creation of more of it.
Comments.
Cindy Monahan
Thank you for a look behind the scenes of the process involved in creating this video. It’s inspiring to know that even a video about joy brings some challenges but that your relationship to it and to each other triumphed! All of it quite an achievement.
Roberta
Thanks Cindy! It was my first group project where maintaining joy was critical as the bottom line (or the outgoing frequency wouldn’t be worth sharing). It worked! Would be interesting to hear how others do with that same bottom line.