Embracing failure. Again.
I hope Neil will forgive me for stealing “embracing failure” but I need it. It sums up both my mood and a fundamental change in my character. While everything seems to be business as usual on “The Kaiser Edition” the whole concept of “The Black Operatives Department” is being slaughtered over at werbeblogger.
This would have made me very angry a couple of months ago. Now, it does not. I’m embracing failure because getting it “right” in Germany would simply be the wrong thing to do.
My initial reaction was one of abject disappointment (and a stabbing at my ego - I’ll own up to that too) but then I was reminded by a story that Tim told me about when when his short film trilogy was shown at our old college.
And this is what he said:
It was weird listening to negative feedback in the cinema, after all the praise the films had received from the press, the film festivals and the industry. It would have hurt my feelings but then I remembered that; yeah I used to do the same and that yeah I wanted to be better that the stuff I had seen back then. It’s what pushed me on back then.
Tim went on to make better films - and now young film makers want to go on and make better films. And that’s the way it should be.
I just hope the same happens with the people currently pissing all over my stuff in Germany.
Somehow I doubt it - and that, my friends is why I’m here. I’m here to keep pushing, to keep failing, to keep making an arse of myself until someone, somewhere in this navel gazing industry decides that it can’t go on like this anymore and that we should embrace failure and try and do better stuff.
So call me what you like - and think of me what you will.
My name is Marcus Brown and I am Sacrum, The Lord God Almighty and Charles Stab. But more than anything I am The Kaiser. And this time I’m here to stay.
Good evening.
If you think that others might been interested in this would you be so kind as to Stumble it?
<
This work is licensed under
Creative Commons
Tim Keil
Reminds me of a nice german saying (actually i don`t know if it is german, but i wish it would be). It goes like this:
When wrongfulness is getting normal, resistance becomes an obligation.
Jan 29th, 2008
Patrick Breitenbach
I like to burn down the whole werbeblogger shit´tomorrow. But I KNOW that someone is out there who appreciate what we think. Even in werbeblogger - the godamn A-Stuff (curse AND gift).
We are fuckin’ neophil and I like it. But we are a minority.
I will take the suicide pill whenever I get caught in this narrow neophobe mind.
Jan 29th, 2008
Paul H. Colman
Ignore anything written in German, that’s what I do.
Jan 29th, 2008
Patrick Breitenbach
Let’s talk about “innovation” in our new episode of late night podcast on thursday.
Jan 29th, 2008
Seb
Paul, du bist der größte, bestaussehendste, brillianteste, Turnschuhdesign an seine Grenzen führende und härteste Ultimate-Fighting Stratege auf dieser Welt. Deutschland liebt dich. Schade, dass du diese Nachricht ignorierst.
Jan 30th, 2008
Seb
And Marcus, very good. Go on. Someone has to do it. Remember, the sausage crew is behind you as your army of fine meat specialities.
Jan 30th, 2008
Seb
Ans as a friendly slap on your shoulder something that always gets this “let’s go on” out of myself:
We work, we wonder, get things done yet take our losses, too. We kill our darlings, kiss some asses, tell a lie (but not to you). We move the mountain, cross the ocean, burn our ships … the bridges. We throw the dice, we cut the crap, we confront, we sharpen edges, we curse, we claim, we rock the cradle, thrive. We scream of love, of fear, of joy, our hearts pounding: alive, alive! We all excel, exclaim, exhale. Some get more wrinkles, more grey hair, some take a diet….fail. We question answers, change the odds, at times we ride the tide. We break the rules while working miracles, or bite the dust, - mouth open wide. We beat the drum, we blow your horn, or - who knows - ring your bell. We stir the fire, we make great waves, shoot horses, stars as well. We random order, unchain hearts, we think big fish of you. We want, create , believe , persist ; we dream, we wish, we do.
Jan 30th, 2008
Rob @ Cynic
Why on earth would you give a second thought to what a bunch of sheep think? I wouldn’t even waste a fart on what they say.
Jan 30th, 2008
The Kaiser
Hi Guys - thanks. I’m not really down about this, in fact I’m quite positive about it all. I’m just hoping that German clients get to see what’s being said and start to have a long hard think about the people that are managing their communications for them. That would be good.
Jan 30th, 2008
Rob Mortimer
Genius is rarely embraced in its time…
Jan 30th, 2008
Michael Gross
Dear Black Operatives Department (all of you),
don’t droop just because of some german blog comments (that’s how blogs work)
I think the idea is gorgeous and I’m already thinking about an ode to the fridges - clicking electronic sounds that create a cold but very warm place.
Let’s see what happens.
Jan 30th, 2008
lauren
marcus - it could be worse. they could be singing your praises in public and continue to disrespect you behind closed doors. [yeah, like the rest of us :)]
lol@seb. cheeky bugger.
Jan 30th, 2008
The Kaiser
Lauren - that makes me feel so much better.
Jan 30th, 2008
Tomtcho Guentchev
If it makes you feel any better I can whistle a haiku for you ?
Jan 31st, 2008
till
since patrick asked to not further discuss this on werbeblogger, just a little comment in this place. i strongly support tims argument: really demanding/strict feedback is great feedback. because it offers you so many ideas how to further improve your stuff! you shouldnt obey to every suggestion, but you should consider it.
maybe its a cultural thing, but giving very (even hyper-)critical feedback, does not necessarily mean that the critic isnt convinced of the others person’s idea.*
quite in the contrary, he just wants you to try harder. ive experienced quite a few people who gave me a hard time by their critical reviews - but those are the ones ive learnt the most from.
having said that, discussing online just plainly sucks. if all those silly online flame wars ive already witnessed turned into real fights, mankind wouldve already slaughtered itself. “age of conversation” hehe..
* p.s. id participate in your project if i had any amount of time left for that!
Feb 2nd, 2008
Reply to “Embracing failure. Again.”