In 1877, Eadweard Muybridge, the famous English photographer, set up a never been done before system of trip wires and multiple cameras to prove that all four hooves of a galloping horse leave the ground simultaneously.
Little known, Muybridge used the same trip wires cameras to prove to the world that all 8 legs of a galloping spider also leave the ground at the same time.
Thomas Edison loved spiders too, and he recorded the spiders as they galloped across Victorian marching band snare drums.
For resounding audibility, their tiny feet were outfitted with minuscule, wooden shoes.
Tragically, a group of drunken loom operators -- weavers -- broke into Muybridge's studio and destroyed the spider photos. However, one sound recording of these galloping spiders still exists; one hears a perfect drum roll followed by silence and the ba-bash of a crash cymbal, as the exuberant spider most likely ran too fast and slammed into other parts of the drum kit.
Most importantly, Muybridge's early-era, photographic breakthroughs with spiders led to the creation of cinema -- and the genre of larger than life, spider-themed, kitsch, horror films.
And while these spider stars symbolized the terror of nature's ability to devour us, it was cinema that forever changed our awareness of ourselves by giving us the concept of "projection".
Teddy Roosevelt coined the phrase, "I think you're projecting." But for this era, I offer a better way to think of a projection:
The realization is this: established business owners have found success is by working with people that share their values or who are like them in some way.
Because the people you choose to work with that make you feel most comfortable, who inspire you to get through the hard part of being an entrepreneur, are YOU in some way. (Like my version of Muybridge and Edison and their shared passion)
The customer or client that is like you is doing the things that you really care about; they utilize your best offerings; their pains and prejudices are yours, as are their dreams. And, they'll open the door for you to give you access to the good work. In a way, your best clients are a projection of you. And if it seems hard to figure out who that customer is, just think of the people that really stand behind your work, your business idea.
And the pains you solve for others are the pains you probably want eradicated for yourself and FOR EVERYONE.
Obviously, I like to work with people who will at least snicker at the notion that Muybridge actually photographed spiders wearing tiny wooden running shoes. But that's just me.
(BTW, the real story about Muybridge from Wired Magazine: http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/06/dayintech_0615/)
Little known, Muybridge used the same trip wires cameras to prove to the world that all 8 legs of a galloping spider also leave the ground at the same time.
Thomas Edison loved spiders too, and he recorded the spiders as they galloped across Victorian marching band snare drums.
For resounding audibility, their tiny feet were outfitted with minuscule, wooden shoes.
Tragically, a group of drunken loom operators -- weavers -- broke into Muybridge's studio and destroyed the spider photos. However, one sound recording of these galloping spiders still exists; one hears a perfect drum roll followed by silence and the ba-bash of a crash cymbal, as the exuberant spider most likely ran too fast and slammed into other parts of the drum kit.
Most importantly, Muybridge's early-era, photographic breakthroughs with spiders led to the creation of cinema -- and the genre of larger than life, spider-themed, kitsch, horror films.
And while these spider stars symbolized the terror of nature's ability to devour us, it was cinema that forever changed our awareness of ourselves by giving us the concept of "projection". Teddy Roosevelt coined the phrase, "I think you're projecting." But for this era, I offer a better way to think of a projection:
The realization is this: established business owners have found success is by working with people that share their values or who are like them in some way.
Because the people you choose to work with that make you feel most comfortable, who inspire you to get through the hard part of being an entrepreneur, are YOU in some way. (Like my version of Muybridge and Edison and their shared passion)
The customer or client that is like you is doing the things that you really care about; they utilize your best offerings; their pains and prejudices are yours, as are their dreams. And, they'll open the door for you to give you access to the good work. In a way, your best clients are a projection of you. And if it seems hard to figure out who that customer is, just think of the people that really stand behind your work, your business idea.
And the pains you solve for others are the pains you probably want eradicated for yourself and FOR EVERYONE.
Obviously, I like to work with people who will at least snicker at the notion that Muybridge actually photographed spiders wearing tiny wooden running shoes. But that's just me.
(BTW, the real story about Muybridge from Wired Magazine: http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/06/dayintech_0615/)
Leave a comment