No, I didn't forget to title this post. I named it after my friend Blaine Hogan's book, Untitled.
I love that he titled it that. So brilliant! It speaks of a work in progress. Of not being done yet. Of the middle having as much significance as the end.
A lot like our lives.
Blaine is an artist, actor, writer, and producer. After 12 years as a professional actor, he's now the Creative Director at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago.
You might know him from the 2010 Global Leadership Summit.
I met him at the STORY conference, where he delivered the most powerful opening monologue about sharing our whole story.
Blaine is one of my favorite creatives. (All you have to do is watch his dance videos to know why!) I love his perspective -- the unique way he sees the world and shows it to others.
Blaine pulls no punches.
And his book is no exception.
Untitled is a collection of his thoughts and reflections on the creative process, from 15 years of experience in the field. He candidly shares his own discoveries about failure, fear, rejection, and creating from the inside out.
In Untitled, Blaine is poignantly honest about the unsexy work that goes into filling blank pages. As creatives, as artists, we can't just wait around for inspiration to show up. We need to do the hard work every day to seek out and capture ideas.
For me, as an aspiring author, and one who often finds herself at a loss for words and clear ideas, I so appreciated Blaine's practical tips. Untitled taught me to scratch when I don't itch and to force myself to write on a blank surface -- of any variety -- every single day. (You'll have to read the book to fully understand both those references. But I assure you, that alone makes it a worthwhile read.)
I asked Blaine a couple questions, so he could share a little more of his heart with the Grit community...
In Untitled you point out that we don't learn from our experiences... we learn by reflecting on our experiences. What new things have you learned by reflecting on your experience of writing this book?
This is so true. It's only when we take the time reflect do we really understand the significance of any given moment. For starters, I can't believe I wrote a book during the first few months of our daughter Ruby's life. I mean, what was I thinking!? So while my wife was giving birth, so was I. I suppose I didn't want her to be the only one having so much fun. In the end, I find myself returning to the book by way of quotes that people have posted since the book's release, and as I read them, I realize how much I need what I wrote to be true.
Tell us about some of the grit and some of the glory in your life right now.
As I mentioned, we have a new baby. Ruby is now 8 months old. She is beautiful, fiery, fun, exhausting, and full of life. As I experience the glory of this gorgeous baby, I'm struck with stories of my own that have been buried away for sometime. There's something about being entrusted with another human being that has forced me to look at some of the sadder moments of my childhood. The thing is, I thought I was done with that work — I've been through a lot of therapy. And yet there has been great healing in the pain as well.
Can we expect another dance party video anytime soon?
Great question. I haven't decided. I started doing them in a time where I felt like I wasn't doing anything scary and I wasn't doing anything that was simply fun. Having a baby right now is certainly filling the scary and fun void at the moment... so we'll see!
Buy Untitled for only $4.99. Connect with Blaine on Twitter and his blog.
Would you share with Blaine & the whole Grit family about some of the grit and glory in your own life right now?