Episode 113

Get Ready

The Farmers’ Almanac predicts a warm wet winter for Michigan. Fuck that. Yesterday I started sealing the greenhouse, in anticipation of deep-freeze temperatures and blustery winds coming off Crystal Lake. I am preparing for an intense winter. Just 10k years ago Michigan was covered by the southern fingertips of glaciers. Is human activity changing the climate? Probably. Is Earth just going to sit back and take it?

I think not.

Plus I’ve got my own agenda, a strong desire. This spring Shoalie and Spray sold me the commodore’s iceboat, big enough for two. So for the winter of 2018–2019, I’ve got a second iceboat I can teach with.

You might have seen my iceboat explorations last winter, when I only had the one man Sprinter. My first winter with the Sprinter I had zero iceboat experience and scared myself shitless. By the end of my second Sprinter winter, last year, I was starting to get the idea, and feeling like I almost might know what I was doing. If we get ice on our lake this winter, there will certainly be an expansion of iceboat virtuosity. And more movies.

So we’ve got to get ready for greatness, and prepare for a badass winter. Fie on the Farmers’ Almanac! Reality is ours for the making. Where there is joy, there’s a cascade of primordial energy, molten power flowing into the templates of our dreams. Build your greenhouses, score a slightly tight set of merino wool long underwear at your local thrift store. Or whatever shape and flavor your desires take, start getting ready. Because they are coming.

Speaking of desires, I started wondering whether DOG could win Cannes. From April to July of 2018, we posted scenes for feedback in Season Two Crowd Creation, but I hadn’t looked at the scenes since August. I’ve been busy doing other things… enjoying summer, selling off equipment from the family farm, playing with rocks in the water, freeing the spirits of ruined sailboats. So I’ve had time away from the movie.

A few weeks back a gorgeous friend stopped by whom I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. After we shared a stack of Shri Fugi Spilt vegan wheat-free (and sprouted) pancakes, I showed her some of the scenes and we played the feedback game. Watching with my prodigal friend, I realized that Daughter of God truly is unique. I’ve never seen anything like this… and I’ve watched a lot of weird movies, to be sure.

Not only unique, but there’s an opportunity here to realize something special. Awesome. Exemplary. DOG could take Cannes.

Infinite intelligence tells us that really ambitious dreams are way easier to realize than puny ones… maybe because so much energy gets flowing. I forget why, but I like the idea a lot. I love having really outrageous dreams and going fully audacious. I love the feelings big dreams bring.

Dreaming big is a crackerjack way for me to feel all that I am. Sure, winning means kudos and recognition, but that’s just external circumstance and aftermath, trivia. Here’s how I get the energy moving: Who would I have to be to win Cannes? What kind of person directs a movie that can sweep arguably the most prestigious film festival on the planet? Am I ready to be he? How would I feel if I were that guy right now?

The movie isn’t done, not quite. I can imagine being done with the movie, I can see the done-ing up ahead. Who do I want to become by finishing this movie? That’s why finishing is so much fun. I’m making myself, awesome.

I’m out of the closet about the winning Cannes thing, and I’m glad. I thought I might keep this desire my little secret, I mean who is crazy enough to think their first feature is going to win Cannes? Me, I am. Because why not? Somebody’s got to win. Why not this guy?

Nobody wants to hear from middle-aged white dudes anymore, I get that. That’s my sweet disadvantage, my exciting o