Opening doors?

The more I think about it, the more I think that I should have done something like this long ago, but then again, I suppose things always happen in exactly the right order and I shouldn't question it.

I'm talking about approaching local production companies for support. I did this once, a couple of years ago, with only modest success. Partially I think because the company that I was dealing with, while solid in its own right, was not at the right stage for the type of stuff that I was doing.

I had a very encouraging meeting today with a local (Boston based) production company which, for the moment shall remain nameless. Suffice to say, they do a lot of cool stuff for networks like Discovery, National Geographic and PBS. The guy that I met with, I have to say, has been very persistent, patient and accommodating with regard to getting me in there and dealing with timing and schedule issues. He also had a lot of great things to say about my work, which was a huge boost for my confidence.

While most of my projects were a pass, there were some things like The Silver Eagle Story and this new project I've been thinking about for a while which seemed like they may be a fit for this company.

I've been very fortunate to have a respectable group of people working in the industry who've been really good and gracious to me. They've expressed confidence in my work when I was unsure of myself. They've provided unflagging support and guidance and reassured me that it would only be a matter of time before things fell into place for me. I've always appreciated that, and it's always meant a great deal to me.

Today however, was different.

While today's meeting didn't result in a big sale, or a pledge to turn any of my concepts into shows, I felt as though I'd stepped through a door that I've for the longest time been standing on the threshold of peering through a large enough crack for people to notice me, but not really pay me much attention. Today was for some reason different. Time will prove whether or not it will result in anything, but I felt a sincerity and sense of acceptance and validation in my skills as an artist that I hadn't really felt before. I'm not sure what it was that made this meeting so different, but I felt it, and it felt really good.

I admit that I'm still a very long way from claiming success in this endeavor. I'm not even remotely close in terms of relying on it as a means of financial support, but today, I feel as though I've stepped over the threshold of that very first, and very big and very important door.