Growth in & out of comfort zones…
I was challenged last night in my level of comfort. I do really well in places of comfort. I struggle inside in places of discomfort.
In places of comfort, things come easy and are not difficult, and therefore there isnt't much to learn or anything to grow from at all. I liken it to science and math, if you know the answers to a theory, or have proved something to be sound, there isn't anything else to learn about it. But throw yourself at a new problem, technology, you will see yourself grow pretty quickly.
I was in Northeast Minneapolis with a friend at a Church type building watching a hip-hop video being shot. It is kind of a church turned into a eating hall. They had turned it into a concert-like atmosphere… I showed up in my jeans and button down Polo shirt, I felt like I reeked of suburbia. Might as well have worn a nametag saying "I'm not from around here"… The idea was to maybe be in the back of the video during the crowd shots. Then my mind started wandering and I was thinking, maybe I should've worn a sleeveless undershirt or "beater" like everybody else, or put on a fake tattoo, do something to look like I fit in…
But the truth is as I realized as the night went on, i needed to be me. If there was any chance to be accepted by people at the shoot it was to be me, not to try and be/act like them. Because I am who I am and they are who they are. That's the beauty of it… I am sure some wondered who this clown in the Polo was and what he was doing here, but I started to not care what they thought. I went on with watching the shoot, and then the video producer was like "Ethan i have a job for you". So i worked with the lights for the crowd shots, so I wont be in the video… Maybe he gave me the job so I wasn't thinking about jumping in the scene.
In a night that began with me thinking I was going to become more uncomfortable in my own skin, turned out to be the opposite. After 3 hours and 2 pounds of sweat, I concluded that it was one of the best nights in awhile. Plus now I have music video lighting as a block on my resume should I ever need it…
Because I am who I am and they are who they are.
How simple is that? So simple that it is an incredibly beautiful thing.
Seems too easy doesn't it?
I have a feeling though, that it's supposed to be that simple.
I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourself.