Lou Fuiano
WDS Fall 2006
Duff

Now is the New Later

"If you're not failing, you're not trying." -Woody Allen

"While I don't fear failure, success really gives me the heebie-jeebies." -Lou Fuiano

The entire time I sat with the Fiore reading, I kept thinking; I don't have time to read this, I have a hundred other things I need to do.

Clearly this reading spoke to everyone. Perhaps in different ways, but anyone who tries to push, create and produce falls victim to the trappings of procrastination or just plan fear.

Persistent Starting is a big favorite of mine It's funny, but I don't think I'm a procrastinator. I'm too busy getting out from behind the eight ball to procrastinate. I guess what I'm trying to say is, the more I accomplish, the more I take on. Silly, but true.

I get excited with new projects. Some for the money, others for the chance to do something different. As a result, I take on an impossible amount of projects, commitments and deadlines with virtually no chance of getting it all done.

This would also qualify me as the poster child for saying "YES" to all the wrong requests. Trust me, it happens entirely too much. Sometimes, not holding out for what I'm really after. That said, just the other week, I said "NO", to a particularly difficult client. I can't tell you how liberating it was. He asked; Can you have something for me by Thursday? I said..."NO!"

I couldn't believe how easy it was. As the words rolled off my tongue, I never once stopped to think; "but I can do this in a snap (pure fiction)" - or - "This will be a chance to position myself for other, and better work (also speculation)". Instead, I looked at my schedule and faced the cold hard facts that doing this would make it impossible to do things that I had already committed to. I truly felt it was a turning point of sorts. I rejoiced by going to lunch instead of freaking out about the impossible workload I had just agreed to.

The creative process never sleeps. It doesn't help that we're creative professionals always trying to make work that is outstanding. Work that resonates. Let's face it, we're not just selling used cars here. If you are true to you're craft, you're always trying to be forward thinking. "One more iteration and I'll have it". I know that this is happening to me with the midterm project. With each idea I develop, three or four more show up. When do you let it go?

This is what I believe creates a fear of success. I'm never quite happy with what I just did. One must commit to an idea and develop it. Get behind it (another argument to early sketches as opposed to late rush comps). When Someone takes on too many things, they always have the out by saying; "Well, if I had more time" - or - "If I didn't have all of this other stuff". Therein lies the trap for me. I've been told that the road to success is identifying the problem - It's a little scary, but I could be on to something.

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