CrEaTiViTy

Having survived another season is one of life's little miracles. I have been doing this professionally since 1979 and a yard haunter beginning in 1961.

So What?

Hmmm

Let us examine the creative process, at least my creative process.

I have to be in the mood, the right mood, whichever mood that may be for whatever it is that I am working on. I may need to work on displays, but the mood I am in keeps from them and maybe towards lighting or sound.

Side Bar

Now I realize that their are people in business as haunters. These people are not necessarily creative, they hire the creative ones, pay them and semi-control them. For them the bottom line is everything. Not that they may not have a good time or enjoy what they are doing, they are not creative.

Back on track

Me, I live to create. I have created scenes; events, effects and more that have never been seen by anyone but me. Oh, some of my close friends have seen parts of them or all of some, but the point is that the public, my haunt customers, has not enjoyed these creations.

For the most part the fault has been mine, no permanent location, lack of funds to increase haunt space to include the new creations and lack of time. 1993/4 were to be good creative years I had funds I had time I had space I… I had to purchase a sprinkler system.

My mood went to hell in a handbasket. Couple this with bad deals and business decisions and, well its 1998 and I am still trying to create.

I am what one would call a one-man show. Not by choice, just am. So I make all the decisions, advertising, marketing, promotions, hiring, firing, ticket booth, security… I have no idea how things got so far out of hand. All I wanted to do was to scare the hell out of folks. Actually "Entertain" them. That is not to say that I/We do not accomplish our creative goal, it's that it never pays for itself.

The problem with the one-man show is, duh, one man.

Or is it?

Education is a great part of my haunt adventure. And some of this I have shared with others through my books and videos. And with all that I know (or think I know) I know very little. I am always learning and more than willing to learn. The price for this is the many names others use when referring to me. A reward I accept. But there is more that I can learn, except for time and distractions.

Distractions. DISTARCTIONS.

Of all the distractions the greatest are the building inspector and fire marshal. These people have not a clue. Their education stopped as soon as paranoia set in. The words haunted house turn them into jelly fright-feared idiots worrying first about their job and second about the municipality they serve. Whenever a haunt receives bad press, it spreads like wildfire. The original information is so twisted; that by the time it makes the loop the originator recognizes it not and thinks it is a new event to be resounded.

Fear. FEAR. Or is it Paranoia? PARANOIA?

To say that nothing has happened is foolish, but to what extent happened and how much truth in the telling of the happening? Truth has a strange new definition, thanks to our Prez of hide and seek with the cigar. This new meaning of the word truth is what the person claiming to be true believes to be the truth, is indeed the new truth. That is to say, there was a haunt fire, 20 people died; I will not have a haunt in my jurisdiction, because of this.

My creative process has suffered greatly. I am unable to deal with these fools. For fools they are, if for no other reason than that they are uneducated, misled and lied to. My solution was to leave the jurisdictions of all municipalities, is that the right decision?

What part can education play in the decision making process? How to go about this?

One small step is IAHA. An organization that is trying to bridge this gap. If you do not believe there is a problem then consult your relative the Ostrich. Or better yet your distant cousin the Dinosaur. IAHA is not out to wreck the industry. And as in all politics I am sure some members have agendas, so what? Especially if the greater agenda is a stronger industry that becomes a respectable industry.

I have gone from being the city showplace for how a haunt should be done, to being told to get out of town by the same person. One year the building department and fire companies gave praise, the next not even a kind word sideways. Don't think this can happen to you, cool.

JB Corn

Copyright 1999, All Rights Reserved

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