Parallels: Ground Preparation and Planting Seeds

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In the garden, I have just put in several days of work preparing the ground via the wood chips/no-till method of gardening. It is simply to lay down a layer of cardboard. and then covering the cardboard with a very thick layer of wood chips. I’m also adding leaves to the future gardening beds. This will need to sit for about six months over the winter before it will be ready to receive new seeds. I really appreciate this approach for several reasons: there is no running the rototiller. There is no weeding beyond the leveling of ground and smothering of any old weeds or dormant seeds. No weeds will be sprouting in the spring. They are buried deep under a new layer of fresh, organic material.

This coming spring I am anticipating being able to sow large volumes of seeds in the prepared garden beds. I have ten key crops that I will be experimenting with this year. Other crops that had good success this past year will also be featured. Again, starting off as seeds for the most part. (I’m attempting to keep my pepper plants alive over the winter months.)

Parallels to Media Production

It should be stated here what type of media production we are hoping to cultivate here. Original children’s media production; such as are healthy to consume and edify in a child’s media consumption diet. It should NOT be the only thing in a child’s diet, just as you wouldn’t give a child only carrots, or only milk.

So here are some parallels that I am observing:

  • What is the clearing and preparation of the ground akin to? What is the organic matter that constitutes the substance of the seedbed? What is the heavy work of preparing the ground and then letting it sit for a period of time?
    • There are season of rest where we disengage from the demanding rigors of the day to day grind. This is a time of reflection and perhaps exploration and consumption.
    • It was WORK to prepare the ground to rest. What kind of work do you need to prepare to rest in media production? Is this the deep work of reflection? Is it the deep work of planning? Is the deep work of knowing where your mental energies will be for the period of your rest? What books, movies, topics will you research and learn more about?
    • Ground preparation will be more about the technical preparations that will allow seeds to be developed. Is it at time for training? Honing in on new skills to be developed? Which skills? What kinds of skills? “Ground”work is then education.
  • Focus on more than one seed idea at a time. Plant many seeds and see which ones grow. Don’t try to be all things at once, but have focus groups that can be developed.
  • Like the pepper plants, keep alive the productions that are producing well. (You don’t have any yet.)
  • Where do the seeds come from? Seeds are harvest from fruits.
    • What kinds of fruits: Books, short stories, other media productions, conversations with friends, scriptures, prayer.
    • Take existing productions and rework them with different variables. Combining characters from Shakespeare with examples from the Book of Mormon.
  • This down time in the winter months is also a time to collect seeds from fruits and make plans for springtime plantings.

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Brent is married to a very supportive woman, is father of a large family, and went into business for himself in 2006.