Hang Onto Those Compliments
Our activity can be one of delayed gratification. Many shows are planned for 9 months to a year before the season happens and we start to get the payoff for our hard work. I’m used to this after so many years creating shows, but it can still be a challenge to keep one’s momentum and enthusiasm as the long grind of the season and the hard work of the teaching goes on and on. So hang onto all compliments you get! They will boost you as the season progresses.
In my many years of conversations with the top designers in our activity, I have heard them say many times that they have to keep their concept and ideas clearly in their head during the process, and especially as the season is happening and judges and fans are reacting. In the course “Winning Design” with Scott Chandler of the Blue Devils (free for members!), he discusses this phenomenon and describes how well meaning staff members will sometimes make suggestions for the show. It can be hard to say “no” to a good idea, but ultimately the team has to trust the lead designer to have the best interest of the show in mind and, quite often, to have a perspective on the show that others simply can’t have.
So if you are in such a role, stay strong in your vision and also hang onto all the nice compliments that come your way that remind you that you ARE on the right track.
I experienced all of this in a different way over the last year as my partner Steve and I created our new bed and breakfast, the Phantom History House. From a basic idea (“Let’s create and run a bed and breakfast”) through all the design ideas, to the purchase of the home and the decor and the hard work of renovation and creating the ultimate finished product, it was a LOT of work. Many times during the process friends would make suggestions or point out ideas for decor or furnishings which were wonderful ideas but just not right for our specific design vision for the home. Keeping the ideas for the unique spaces in the home in order in our heads was a monumental task and harder than any show design I’ve ever been through.
Ultimately, we are thrilled with the spaces we have created, but we see it every day and can lose our confidence. When this happens we have been happy that the universe has brought us compliments at the right time.
Just yesterday, we got two such compliments. A photographer from AirBNB came to the Phantom History House to shoot photographs for our listing, a welcome perk that the company offered our property. Early on in his visit he commented that he had taken photographs of over 600 AirBNB properties and ours was in the top 5 that he had photographed! He said this was especially true for the uniqueness of our theming and also for our cleanliness! (Thank you for the wonderful compliments)
See a video about this AirBNB Photo Shoot
Then last night we had a couple arrive unexpectedly needing a room for the night before an early morning flight. They said they wanted to stay somewhere unique and wanted to have an experience that was more interesting than a standard hotel. (That’s us!). As soon as they walked into our space they “got it.” The woman named “Kat” immediately fell in love with the space and commented over and over how much she loved it. She immediately understood what we were going for, our “creepy yet comfortable” vibe, and said she felt very comfortable in our luxurious home. They ultimately decided to spend the night in the Ouija Room, enjoying the large outdoor deck and the king size bed.
These kinds of compliments are so helpful to us as we work through the grind of getting the word out and wondering if we have actually created something that people will love. So hang onto all encouragement as you work on your show plans, keep your vision clearly in mind, and be bold! It will pay off.
Tim Hinton
April 14, 2023
