Our studio...

That's me, at my desk in our studio (it's a piece of butcher block countertop that I quite like with IKEA desk legs screwed to it) with some of our new art on the wall behind me.  Close up, they look like this...
And this...
And this.
The artist's name is Reine, you can find out more about her here.

Reason I'm blogging on this is twofold.

First I'm amazed and humbled at how nicely our little studio in downtown Vancouver is turning out.  What started as a big white space with too many walls and no 'vibe' to it (I think it was a carpentry shop) has now been turned into (through the efforts of our fantastic staff) an authentic 'black box' studio that's suitable for small television production, small commercial and music video production, small corporate video, and photography work.

To say nothing of the fact that it's also our post-production hub with space for our editors (six of 'em now...) to do their thing.

It's pretty cool.

One of the reasons it's cool (and why I'm so humbled by it all...) is that it's not that long ago that we were a million miles away from having a space like this.  Truth is, we've never had our 'own' space.  We've always thought the day might come and now that it's here, albeit in a very small and simple way, it feels both comfortable (because we've pictured it for so long) and strange because we still feel like this couldn't be.

Which leads to the second reason for today's post.

My family (Mom and Dad are visiting, and Niki brought the kids...) came by the studio today and they were totally impressed with it.  Dad reminded me how faithful the Lord has been to lead us through from two years of 'income free' living (oh sweet baby Jesus...) to this, our own very cool, very chique space right in the heart of Yaletown, Vancouver's coolest neighborhood.  "And..." he continued "Ten years from now, this'll seem like small potatoes to you--you'll see."

Nice of him to say it.  Cool to be able to hear it.  Fantastically strange to be living it.

What's downright scary and glorious about it all is how deeply I've longed for something like this and for how long.  Since my start in show business, nearly sixteen years ago now, I've dreamed of having something like this to work with and in, and from which to deploy a team of talented people to render redemptive story on-screen.

Sixteen years later and we're here.

Naturally, 'here' isn't 'there' which is why I don't feel and would never say that we've 'arrived', it's just a very nice point to have reached along the way.

I really do feel like we're slowly (and in a very small way) becoming one of those examples of people who keep at it and keep at it and keep at it long enough that--eventually--you start making some headway.

So posting to bear witness to some goodness in my life today and to confess I'm deeply moved and humbled by it all and to remind you that this same kind of small progress is probably happening in your life as well as you continue to trudge along pursuing your life less ordinary.

I hope you have a chance to notice the incremental growth and goodness that's happening in your life.  There's a good chance signs of it (growth) are hanging all around you...

Like art.

T