When I first started making films, I read a book about the craft of writing and directing – one of the first lines of the text was:

“A professional filmmaker is just an amateur that didn’t quit”

And therein lies the answer, right?

Taking it on face value, you don’t need to be the most gifted, the most skilled or the most resourceful – but the most tenacious in order to reach the top of your field.

Talent will take you a long way. Skills and resources are also important. But if you give in at the first sign of adversity then you will fail.

Persistence is a world-beater. Simples!

Well not quite… You can’t just persist and expect to succeed.

That’s right. All of those people telling you to just grit your teeth and never give up are only half right.

Image Copyright MHA Blog

Why? Well, consider this:

If you kept on running into an abandoned building, do you think you’d eventually demolish it? Or would it just lead to bruises, broken bones and a sore head?

And that is the crux of this matter: You need to be persistent about your goal but not about the method of reaching it.

The best thing to do is experiment to see what techniques and approaches yield the results you are looking for – and if they are not working, introduce change.

Looking at the example above, once we had established that running into the building wasn’t working, knowing that our goal was to demolish the building, we could try other things – such as dynamite, maybe even a wrecking ball.

Persistent in your goal – not in your method.

Without being persistent in the correct way, you can work doggedly for years and years and never get close to what you want to achieve. A huge waste of energy and opportunity.

So remember, persistence is key to succeeding. But, you have to channel that persistence in the correct way. Do that and the chances are that you will achieve the things that you truly want to in life.

About Amir:

“My name is Amir Bazrafshan. I am a filmmaker and currently Head of Production at indie distributors Crabtree Films and soon to be Director at my own business Apricot Creative Video.”

Twitter: @amir_hb

Website: www.go-apricot.co.uk

Nottingham has the youngest population of any major city in the UK, and whilst the barrage of negative publicity about young people may lead some to worry, last night was a celebration of their creativity and, perhaps more importantly, it was the elders paying respect to the positivity, energy and ‘can do’ attitude that young people bring to the creative sector.

The Young Creative Awards were launched in 2009 to attract up and coming talent in the City and put young people in Nottingham on the creative map. This is now the fourth annual event organized by One Nottingham and was certainly a well packed event. Not surprising, given that it is certainly one of the more important events in the city. Often local kids are not seen as creative as Nottingham’s university population, and the Young Creative Awards does a good job to remind us that there is a wealth of great talent in our local schools and colleges, who with a little support will become the creative sector in the future.

Shannon,Caley and Asad winners of the photography award (with writer William Ivory)

The overall Young Creative of the Year 2012 was won by Rhiannon Coffey (21) who used screen printed fabric to design creative furniture and wallpaper to welcome people at Nottingham train station. Other winners included Courtney Dultson (17) for designing a sculpture in the market square, Catherine Skellern (16-18) for her poem describing a feast in Sherwood Forest, Lucy-Ellen Oakden (16) who used sculptured and painted clay to make charms on a bracelet, and Shannon Hill, Caley Chen and Asad Ramazani (16-18) who made a mosaic of Nottingham Playhouse with 375 photographs stitched together.

Now, we all know that Nottingham is bursting with creativity, new ideas and vibrant communities, and last night’s showcased it well. It was a good advert showing us that creativity is both a driving force of the local economy, that a more creative city builds a more harmonious city, and the creative sector is certainly worthy of investment. As local boy and screenwriter William Ivory (Made in Dagenham) highlighted, there was something empowering about the buzz from the creative energy on display and every one of the 300 odd people who attended left with a positive view of the power of youth.

For further information contact Tracy Meadows on 0115 915 5555 or tracy.meadows@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

The full listed of winners and highly commended creatives is available on the Young Creative Award website at http://www.onenottingham.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15924

Images courtesy of the Nottingham Photographers’ Hub  (www.nphub.org.uk)

For example, you might see yourself as ‘the organised one’, ‘the forgetful one’, ‘the creative one’, ‘the funny one’, etc.

While this is all well and good, as it shows some degree of self knowledge, it can also be incredibly limiting and not only stunt potential creativity but also opportunities to explore ourselves in a fuller way.

We find security in this pigeon holing; we know who we are, our place, what we do, and how we do it – and that’s as far as we go. Being able to define ourselves in a nutshell makes us feel stable and safe.

The thing is, it’s also incredibly restrictive because at the same time we are turning our back on facets of our personality that could truly enrich our work and even our lives.

When was the last time you found yourself uttering something similar to one of the following:

“I can’t do that”

“I’m not like that”

“That just isn’t me”

The context could be anything but the effect is the same; stopping yourself from doing something that challenges the perception of yourself or to put it another way, ensuring we do not leave our comfort zone.

It’s an easy thing to do because we are pretty much conditioned to do this – in many ways it is a survival technique that shields us from anything that challenges who we think we are.

But what if we did challenge that perception and stepped out of the comfort zone?

Essentially we would be making ourselves vulnerable. We’d feel lost and scared because we’d be in uncharted territory. But pushing through this fear means discovering something new about ourselves.

It could be that the chap who is a total whizz at spreadsheets has a brilliant, but undeveloped, artistic streak. Or perhaps the shy and retiring girl actually has a wicked sense of humour that had been tightly locked away.

Our personalities are made up of many facets so why not explore them?

I’ll use myself as an example:

I was drawn to filmmaking through writing; I’ve always written stories so it felt like a natural progression to realise these narratives in visual form. But because I am more comfortable dealing with story, I’ve never explored purely visual concepts.

I’m actually prepping to pitch for a film job that needs to be visually driven, as opposed to narratively. But I almost bowed out before I started, telling myself that “this isn’t me, it’s not what I do”.

Fortunately, I caught myself saying this so could do something about it. I want to develop as a human being as much as I do a filmmaker, so I have been pushing myself out of my comfort zone in developing this concept.

I may very well be beaten to the job by folk with more experience in concepts like this or who have more visual flair, but as the hours that I’ve spent on this project have passed, it has become less about getting the job (although I’d love to get it) and more about exploring this new side of me.

It’s been really liberating and exciting working in a new way, even surprising, in that I’d always told myself that “this wasn’t me” and that “I’m not good at this” – when in fact, if I’d moved beyond limiting thoughts, I’d have discovered that I was capable of far more than I’d realised.

The danger is living up to these self-imposed labels that pigeon hole us as one thing or another, because that is all we will ever be.

We are more than what we think we are and are only constrained by how we perceive ourselves.

The good news is that we can control this perception – and when you do, you just might discover something unexpected and amazing.

About Amir:

“My name is Amir Bazrafshan. I am a filmmaker and currently Head of Production at indie distributors Crabtree Films and soon to be Director at my own business Apricot Creative Video.”

Twitter: @amir_hb

Website: www.go-apricot.co.uk

Co-oproduct launch an enlightened family?

I am no stranger to creative recycling/upcycling/reuse ( I write this adorned with jewellery by Anna Roebuck made from plastic bags and aluminium cans, not though you’d notice). Just because its recycled it doesn’t have to look like rubbish! This was demonstrated yesterday evening by Co-oproduct founders Jamie & Tracy at a small gathering to celebrate the launch of their community interest company.

They describe their website as a portal for the free sharing of product design ideas focusing on Creative ReUse. You can register and submit product ideas, sell them as ready mades on the site and more interestingly each design must have step by step Make it Yourself (MIY) instructions! Anyone who uses the design can donate to the designer through an online Honesty-Box.

Jamie & Tracy want more designers and makers to submit products to the site and spread the word about the community they are building both regionally and beyond. Co-oproduct also do research and education work.

CycleHanger Oliver Staiano

In a world that is continuously go-go-go, where deadlines loom large and people are always seeking that edge, it’s easy to forget about the benefits of ‘taking a bath’. Of course, I’m not necessarily talking about running the hot tap

Copyright to Imadeitso.com

and taking a relaxing dip, but any activity that you can immerse yourself in and totally forget about your work.

However, I want to go a step further and talk about being strategic in your choice as to when you do that particular activity.

I find the most beneficial time to get away from my work is when I am stuck on something. I’m writing a screenplay at the moment, and I recently reached a point in the story that I couldn’t move beyond. I thought and thought, pushed and pushed but found myself getting more and more bogged down – there was no way forward.

So, I got up and went to wash the pots. That’s right, I donned the Marigolds and made some serious suds. But, I ensured that I was totally in that activity; feeling the warmth of the water, the smell of the washing-up liquid, and the sound of the water splashing around.

My conscious mind was engaged with a mundane task, leaving my sub conscious to work away on the problem. And hey presto, when I returned to my desk to continue, moments later I had a breakthrough.

Now, that’s not to say that you stand in front of the sink and scrub if you want to solve some creative issue, of course. There are a multitude of activities ranging from taking a walk, to vacuuming the carpet, you just need to find something that suits. But most importantly, DO NOT think about your work while doing it – it totally defeats the purpose!

When you are continuously pushing to find the answer for a problem, you delve deeper and deeper into a dark tunnel. Of course, you have to push a certain amount, but if you go too far, perspective will be lost, frustration can build and you could end up in a really unproductive, stressful place – not conducive for making breakthroughs.

So be mindful of where you are when pushing for that advancement in whatever task you’re undertaking. Recognise that sometimes, it can be more productive to take the dog for a walk than staying late in the office. Remember the story of Archimedes and who knows, the next time you’re polishing the silverware, you might just leap up and shout that timeless, and infinitely satisfying term, ‘eureka’!

About Amir:

“My name is Amir Bazrafshan. I am a filmmaker and currently Head of Production at indie distributors Crabtree Films and soon to be Director at my own business Apricot Creative Video.”

Twitter: @amir_hb

Website: www.go-apricot.co.uk

Staircase III Do Ho Suh at Tate Modern

On Friday I had time for a whistle stop tour of both Tates in London. I particularly loved this piece at Tate Modern and my first thought was “stairway to heaven”.

Seeing some of the collection at Tate Britain brought back fond memories of the first time I saw artworks “in the flesh” when I was herded around the galleries on a trip from my school in the North East as a teenager. Watching an abundance of youth in the galleries on their school trips made me ponder on how their creative futures might be kick started by the inspiration they found there ….. or not.

The train journey home gave me time to ponder my post, but not enough connectivity to do anything about it! This lack of linkage to cyberspace also meant I was frustrated in my efforts to find out the results of the Antenna Amplify Awards that were taking place. A brief connection to Facebook meant I discovered my favourite cake creators Frabjous Events (there is so much more to their business than just cake!) had come away with an Amplify Evolve Award. I hope that Antenna will post more news of the winners soon.

Making the effort to go to both Tates made me muse (reference to Greek Goddess intended) about why I don’t make more effort to see stuff here in Nottingham, there’s shed loads of it after all! Whilst I have been to the fabulous Burra at Djanogly Gallery,  I have yet to see Hetain Patel at New Art Exchange. I made a special effort to get to the Baltic in Gateshead to see the Turner Prize but not recently visited Nottingham Contemporary.  Sometimes there’s a feeling that what’s on your doorstep can be enjoyed any time….. until you miss it …… note to self make the effort more often!

The final inspiration for today’s post came when I was walking my dog. An abundance of cowslips reminded me to mention the fantastic Cowslip Sunday at Lambley on 6 May. A revival of a traditional community celebration which was in its hey day in Victorian times. The abundant yellow wild flower was collected and sold for winemaking and there was much merrymaking! Next week there will be a procession, play and much more rounded off by the cowslip ceilidh.

Find time to visit the first of Open Studios Notts this Bank Holiday weekend too. I am making sure it is on my “must see” list!

Have you ever stood at the foot of a mountain, looked up and been frozen by the sheer task ahead of you?              

Of course, few of us have really been in the shadow of Everest or Kilimanjaro in life, but the vast majority of us would have had our own personal ‘mountains’ looming over us, waiting to be conquered.

These range from completing a dissertation, preparing that all important presentation, finishing a novel, making a film or anything else which you have a vested interest in or substantial ownership over.

Typically we associate this fear in the face of a project that truly means a lot to us with a fear of failure. But interestingly, it isn’t

Image Copyright to http://sassyyogini.blogspot.co.uk

necessarily the fear of failure that is the killer – it can also be the fear of succeeding.

Yes, some of us are scared of succeeding. Why? Well, that will differ depending on the person and the situation, but in general poor self esteem can lead to this; those of us who do not believe that they are ‘worthy’ of success.

Success can put us in new situations where we might feel vulnerable, it might expose weaknesses and we’d have to work on those. Succeeding also places expectations on folk; what if we can’t live up to our achievements again?

But ultimately, success can be scary because it involves a change i.e. going into the unknown – something we all fear. A common reflex to ensure we do not have to deal with that change is self-sabotaging.

We probably all know people who self sabotage – we may have done it ourselves or could be doing it right now. Common examples are procrastination, being lazy, convincing yourself you have no hope and reckless behavior coupled with bad timing, i.e. going out the night before a big presentation.

This behavior allows vicious cycles to perpetuate, meaning that we are not getting the best out of ourselves. It is nigh on impossible for creativity to thrive in these conditions. But what can be done to break this negative behavior?

Well, there are a multitude of things that can be done; from figuring out why you are self sabotaging to being more prepared and creating positive work routines. But the answer I want to focus on is by far the most essential:

Embracing that fear.

Be mindful that you are fearful of succeeding, openly admit it to yourself, and that in itself gives you valuable perspective. When you have perspective, you are no longer ‘living’ the fear but ‘watching’ it – there’s a degree of separation. As soon as you embrace fear, you begin to neutralise it – the grip starts to become looser.

Acknowledging the fact that we are vulnerable is a courageous act within itself and can be very empowering – which in turn can lead to further positive action, which can lead to more, and more and more… and before you know it, the sun is out, the birds are singing and you are the creative, productive you that you want to be.

So the next time you’re working on that all important project and you catch yourself watching TV when you should be working, or if negative thoughts creep into your mind that erode any belief, look a little deeper. Be honest with yourself. Allow yourself to feel vulnerable and embrace any fear that might be present…

…it is a brave thing to do, and it just might help you get the very best out of yourself. Surely that is worth the effort, isn’t it?

About Amir:

“My name is Amir Bazrafshan. I am a filmmaker and currently Head of Production at indie distributors Crabtree Films and soon to be Director at my own business Apricot Creative Video.”

Twitter: @amir_hb

Website: www.go-apricot.co.uk

Image of bronze by Paul Manship from flickr, photographer cliff1066™

It’s not often that someone puts a call out directed specifically to me so I was instantly intrigued.  Further investigation reveals it’s (Turner Prize Winning) Mark Wallinger no less, who wants us Dianas, it seemed rude not to respond.

I may well be the body shape he is after (for the exhibition ‘Metamorphosis: Titian 2012’ at The National Gallery) however I am still pondering whether I would be brave enough to bare it all to be a piece of contemporary art.

Any other Dianas in the area who want to know more please leave me a comment…..

Anyway I might be a bit busy in Nottinghamshire from July to September…..please let me know what I could be doing here instead!

Meanwhile here’s a little links round up for May and June

Like buses cultural events often come along together…..or cross over in a way that means you would be hard pushed to get round everything but give it a go…. cultural marathon story to share anyone? (It is Olympic year)

Craft and Design Month throughout May

For the second year running Craft & Design Magazine are championing designer makers and creative businesses. See what there is to support in your area and/or add an event of your own.

Open Studios Notts Weekends in May and June

Already blogged about earlier in the month. Artists and makers from across the county give you the opportunity to browse and buy a huge variety of work.

Night of Festivals 2012 Thursday 21 – Saturday 23 June in the Old Market Square, Nottingham (famed as the largest open public square in the UK) installations, live music, big screen and the world’s smallest moving image gallery, the ArtReach Nanoplex.

Earth & Fire International Ceramic Fair 2012

Friday 22 – Sunday 24 June
Now in its 18th year the “festival of clay in all its forms” features over 100 potters selling from outdoor stalls in the grounds of Rufford Abbey, plus free demonstrations and talks.

And just to mix it up a bit here’s a sporty event with which to end…..

Olympic Torch relay featuring Torvill and Dean (I’m old enough to remember watching their Olympic gold medal winning performance!) The torch gets an outing at landmarks in Nottinghamshire including the major oak and the ice stadium.

Image Copyright to Vichi - http://www.flickr.com/photos/vichi/

I remember being incredibly proud of myself when I had completed my first ever script and felt that I had created something rather special. Of course, being my first ever script, it was utter tripe, but I was without perspective. When that perspective came via feedback from an experienced writer, it was not welcome.

I felt incensed that this person had tore my beloved script to shreds; the pain was almost physical and my day was ruined. Needless to say that none of the feedback from this kind chap, who had given his time to read my script and make recommendations, was taken on board.

My ego had been threatened and I put up a high wall of ludicrous excuses with the aim of discrediting this person’s feedback to make me feel better. “He must be jealous!” was one of them, “He’s an old has-been that isn’t on the ball anymore” was another – and there were more, all far fetched, all designed to protect my sense of self.

And guess what? That script got made into a film and that film sucked! I didn’t listen because I was too busy running from feedback that might have been hard to listen to but ultimately would have benefitted the script, the film and myself as a writer.

If we identify too closely with our work, no matter what it is, when it is critically appraised, we put up walls. The defence mechanisms come out and we shut down. Our ego is great at coming up with reasons not to listen to others at times like this, and can breed some incredibly distasteful behaviour. I’m sure we have all been witness to this at some point in our lives…

But the key thing to remember is; we are not our work and our work is not us.

Our work is something we create, something separate from us. No matter how strongly we feel about it, it is not us. To be open minded and truly creative i.e. exploring ideas past where you thought possible, it is important to understand this fully.

I don’t think that there was a watershed moment with me. My transition to becoming a humble, far less egotistical filmmaker came over time, and boy have I benefitted from it! It actually takes a very strong and confident person to accept and embrace critical feedback, for it is truly priceless.

When someone gives you honest, constructive feedback, they are giving you something unique; their perspective. So be thankful and pay attention. You may not agree with everything, and you probably won’t, but that isn’t the point. The point is to listen, consider, explore and ultimately be open to changes and developments.

If you’re experience is anything like mine, you’ll find that you become more confident in your abilities: understanding what you are capable of means you know how you can improve. And improving, be it your craft, a script or any other piece of work, is ultimately what it is all about.

I’m normally not one for quotes but I came across this one from Saint Augustine which is particularly apt:

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility”.

About Amir:

“My name is Amir Bazrafshan. I am a filmmaker and currently Head of Production at indie distributors Crabtree Films and soon to be Director at my own business Apricot Creative Video.”

Twitter: @amir_hb

Website: www.go-apricot.co.uk

Hetain Patel is a visual artist who has emerged from the Nottingham art scene and is now achieving international success. His new solo exhibition at the New Art Exchange is a much anticipated homecoming showing new work never seen before. At Home reflects Hetain’s increasingly prevalent relationship to the domestic, both formally and conceptually. The video and photography works are nearly all shot in the home environment. These settings are not only places where Hetain’s domestic and studio lives blur, but they also highlight the subject matter in his work. He suggests the home as a place to locate and challenge notions of the authentic self.

Creative Nottingham caught up with him at the launch event.

What fuels your creativity?

My inspiration comes from a mixture of things, but mostly I am driven by the desire to create something, communicate ideas and connect with people. Although a lot of my work is cultural specific I hope that the work I create evokes broader questions.

Did you like the art scene in India?

Yes, I was only there for a month but did attend the Art Fair in Delhi and am hoping to go back there more frequently. There is a really vibrant indie music scene in Mumbai. I was really struck by the desire in the younger generation to break from the Bollywood stereotypes and express the multiple layers of their new identity.

People often talk about the difficulties about reconciling two different cultures but your work seems very positive and seems to celebrates both cultures

Yes, you can’t really grow up in two different cultures and not have difficult times, but I felt that it was important to focus upon ideas and themes that have a common thread across cultures. There are aspects of ones identities, which are common to all cultures, and a lot of my work explores this.

How supportive were your parents and did it take time to convince them that art is a viable career?

I was lucky because my parents were very supportive. At first, they were worried about whether I would be able to feed myself, but I was bought up to be a grafter, and am always working. They recognize the importance of my work and they will be coming later today to the exhibition.

Was it difficult to talk your family to become participants in the current exhibition?

The exhibition involves my grandmother, my wife and my father, three people who are important to me. I did talk to them a lot and made sure they were happy with everything at every stage. I was particularly concerned about my grandmother because she is almost 100 years old and I did talk to my mother about her a lot. My interactions with my family members are pivotal to who I am, and I felt it was important that I explored this aspect of my identity.

You really work across different art forms and manage to keep the quality of work consistent – is this difficult?

I treat the different art forms as a means to an end… it all comes from a desire to use the body to communicate and explore cultural memory, and our own cultural history.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I am hoping to work on larger pieces of work with different arts forms. I have an idea involving sculptures I am thinking about at the moment.

What would you like to see more of in Nottingham?

I think I would like to see much more collaborative across different arts forms. It’s a great time for exploring ideas and we would benefit from more collaborative work.

What keeps bringing you back to Nottingham?

I love being here, and the place has given me such support. After I left Nottingham Trent University I was lucky to get an award from Decibel and this allowed me two years to develop my artistic practice. I work with a number of local groups and have a lot of friends and love being here. A lot of students from Nottingham Trent University stay here and develop their studio and art practices and we are lucky that Nottingham is a great buzzing place for the visual arts.

Hetain Patel : At Home is currently showing at the New Art Exchange until the 14^th July 2012.

New Art Exchange, 39-41 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham, NG7 6BE

New Art Exchange             www.nae.org.uk

Hetain Patel             http://www.hetainpatel.com