Simple Stuff Introduction - Dan Cochrane

Our new book, Simple Stuff, is available for purchase for $2.99 as an ebook on Amazon (click here). This book was written in 2002-2003, before the trip for the original documentary "Boys of Summer" was even conceived. It was a key point in our relationship, however, as it drew us together, literally, over an artistic venture. Below is the original introduction my dad, the illustrator, wrote for the book. 

Dad’s Intro (written in 2005)

How do we know we can do things? There may be many different avenues. For me it has come primarily from being around people who were doing things, which makes the process very real, very concrete, very doable. My first memory of creating art work came from my Aunt Libby. She would draw greeting cards for birthdays or special holidays and that seemed magical to a five year old. The same kind of magic my grandmother would use to bake a fresh loaf of bread. Nothing abstract, just put your hands in the flour and create. 

School work always seemed to me to be a much more abstract learning process that did not capture my interest until my sophomore year of college. Actually it was either get interested or get out. I decided to get interested. Graduation, marriage, a family and a business career followed. From time to time I would draw greeting cards for family members and they were always well received. I never expected to develop my efforts any further but when you have children and they become a source of energy and creativity the genie is out of the bottle.

The genie in this case was my son, Bob, who proposed the idea of working together on an idea he called Simple Stuff. This would be a departure from projects we worked on in the past that usually involved such things as bundling tree pruning or building a sport court in our back yard. As Bob explained it, he had some observations about life that I would illustrate. I had not read any of his thoughts so I didn't really understand what the project would amount to. The idea of joining Bob in a creative effort sounded too good to miss. Bob had a very wise approach: in the beginning, he didn't mention how many illustrations would be involved. He only sent me ten at a time. That kept me from becoming overwhelmed by the prospects of doing something as daunting as "a book". Quite the contrary, I found myself energized, trying to interpret Bob's ideas.

Thank you, Bob, for being my genie and for trusting me with your magic.

Love always,

Dad

Simple Stuff

Our new book, Simple Stuff, is available for purchase for $2.99 as an ebook on Amazon (click here). This book was written in 2002-2003, before the trip for the original documentary "Boys of Summer" was even conceived. It was a key point in our relationship, however, as it drew us together, literally, over an artistic venture. I got to see my dad's wonderful childlike qualities, sensibilities and sense of humor play off of my writing, which was largely influenced by my study of the Tao Te Ching. Below is the original introduction I wrote for the book. It took another nine years to bring the book to market. "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans", right?

A Simple Introduction (circa 2005)

The idea for this project came to me in a beautiful way: it whispered to me. I’m glad I listened. 

I was sitting in a conference room at the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas (where I was living at the time -- Las Vegas, not the Excalibur), waiting to be called for the next shot -- I was working as an actor in an in-house video. I began to write, as I often do, not knowing what I was writing, just feeling the burn when inspiration grabs me. These thoughts -- small bits of what I perceived to be wisdom -- were crowding my head, needing to come out so that I could release them, emptying my cup, and making way for whatever else need come my way. I began to write and a fellow actor asked me: “What are you doing? Writing a book?” It hadn’t occurred to me until then that was exactly what I was doing. “Yes,” I said. “I’m writing a book.” That simple admittance meant a lot. It's scary to admit an endeavor so large; It meant I had to finish it. 

That same day, my parents happened to be in town. They were coming to Vegas from a wonderful road trip to, among other places, the spectacular natural beauty of Bryce Canyon and Arches, Utah. On the ride to the hotel, the idea that had never left me grew a new leaf: What if Dad illustrated my writings to make them come alive even further? This worked on so many levels, I thought, not the least of which is connecting with my Dad on a new level: the creative. My Dad met it with his cute, cautious smile and a shrug. I believe his words were something to the effect of “sure” or “why not?”. Perhaps not the resounding embracement I was looking for, but that enthusiasm is more oft than not filled in by my Mom (and it was, again, in this case). 

My biggest concern with the project was, would it really happen? So many times in my experience with collaborations people start with a tremendous ball of passion and fire then peter out to a wet, limp match of excuses the minute things get a bit sticky. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case with my Dad. He was warm, responsive, thoughtful, open, creative and incredibly funny in his sly little way. Sitting down with Dad in the house I grew up in after the first draft, I congratulated him and, in effect, both of us as a team for doing what we had set out to do. The sweet smile on his face gave me a peek at what he looked like as a handsome five year-old -- a lifetime before the various difficulties of the world settled upon him. 

This process has been incredibly healing. Our relationship continues to grow to new levels I had never before imagined. I am grateful, humbled and, most of all, happy for the experience. Thank you, Dad, for your courage, accountability and beautiful creativity. I love you very much.

Our new book, Simple Stuff, is available for purchase for $2.99 as an ebook on Amazon (click here).

the whole body approach

See the original film, new clips & donate to help us finish the new film by clicking here. Thank you.

Healthy or not healthy? That is the question. Or is it? Just as my dad (and most people I've met with a chronic illness) does not wish to be defined by his illness, the question of whether or not one is healthy or not is a bit more nuanced than yes or no. This is of particular interest now as we're heading down a new path in dad's maintenance. Superior Health Solutions, a medical facility here in Las Vegas, has offered to treat my dad for no cost, save for the supplements they require he take. Make no mistake, this is a lengthy list -- but so is the list of ailments they found in diagnosing his blood work.

This is a difficult crossroad for people who are afraid or in pain. Do I stay the course with what is known, paid for by my insurance, and generally accepted? Or do I strike out and try the new thing, potentially risking health, finances, and precious time? We came to Superior Health Solutions through a local Las Vegas friend and Parkinson's fundraiser. After making the introduction, I went in to meet Dr. DeMartino and his PR/Marketing Director, Michelle DellaMonica. I liked their facility and approach right away. I also appreciated that they were not only willing but encouraging of my documenting every step along the way, seeing a mutual benefit for them in terms of getting the word out about new approaches to PD. I am very sensitive to putting my dad in a compromised position. At the same time, I recognize the folly of inaction when there are potential actions that can lend to a greater quality of life.

Sometimes the argument in these matters comes back to "a cure". While the pursuit of a cure is noble, it is beyond anything we, as lay people, can do. Scientists and doctors have a far greater understanding of that process than I do, so it seems best to let that be and let them do while we take care of the part we can. What can we do? Be curious. Be active. Be engaged. Be bold. Be smart.

The selfish benefit of this proposal is having my parents in Las Vegas for a bit more time, now with the built in "excuse" of being treated. It's a different kind of journey we're on this time around - but quite interesting, all the same. I hope it's, perhaps, even more approachable as we're not doing what, for most people, is unthinkable: taking two months out of our lives and going. This is piecemeal. Life is very immediate and demanding, both from a health perspective and a family perspective with two little ones.  All of these things are part of the whole body or, maybe better, whole life approach.  

After we work on some logistics in a conversation early next week, we expect treatment to begin very soon. I will post results as we get them as I believe this approach is about more than just my dad or Parkinson's.

We are still fundraising for the sequel documentary and we need your help! Please click here to donate to our film. We will keep a running tab of how much we've raised and what are expenses are for so you can see where the money goes. Thank you.

Kicking out Kickstarter

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our home page to learn more, donate and share it with your friends and family.

Kickstarter is a great concept. But after failing twice to reach my funding threshold my advice is don't let anyone ever tell you it's easy to raise money through that portal. I've been chasing money for my films for nearly 20 years. I've sat in numerous conferences, conference rooms, across from CEO's of major companies and fools who wished they were…but as I sat there and listened, I guess that speaks toward my being a beggar who can't yet choose.

Kickstarter works like this:
You have an idea.
You post it using their website, which is very clean, easy to use and professional looking.
They consider your project, often kicking notes back to you about adjustments you must make to meet their guidelines before you can "go live".
If they approve you (and it's not a slam dunk), you're off and running…on your own.

There's a lot of social media hype and buzz about various projects that get funded via kickstarter. They're not lying - loads of interesting and worthy projects do.  But, in my experience, it's not nearly the democratizing fund-raising zeitgeist it gets hyped as. Loads of projects not on kickstarter or any other social media based fundraiser get funded, too, you just don't hear about them as kickstarter, the brand, is what's driving the story, not what's being funded. Yes, you have an easy to click portal where people can follow you, particularly linking in via social media - and I don't for one second doubt the potential (vs. guarantee) of social media. You also have the potential to have people recognize you for being part of the kickstarter community as there is a real brand name with real value there. But the bottom line is, back to marketing 101, you still have to drive the traffic. And know this: the longer kickstarter is around, the less fresh and interesting it is and the less likely, I'm guessing, people are to donate due to novelty of the brand and its concept.

Some people are put off by the restrictions kickstarter has around its projects. You can't have any affiliation with a charity or non-profit, for example. They also take a hefty 5% of all moneys you raise, if you reach your threshold and Amazon (the banking end of Kickstarter) tacks on another 3-5%. That's a fair chunk of change. All of this is not to say I dislike Kickstarter, but I don't simply believe the hype around it anymore. You want to raise money? You go to the people you know, shake hands with the people you don't and cold call, cold call, cold call.

So for my money, time and effort, I'm going a new/old route: I'm putting up a PayPal button on my site. I will track the amount raised for our project. PayPal caps you at $10,000 for donations, which is exactly how much we were trying to raise via kickstarter anyway (even if we only would have received
$9.000 - $9,200 had we reached our $10,000 goal (yes, had we gone over $10,000 kickstarter would have "allowed" us to keep raising money, too, bless their hearts…and they and Amazon would have kept taking their cut…do to their hearts what you will)). PayPal takes 2.9% +.30 per transaction -- less than kickstarter/Amazon assuming the donations are more than $1.

If you'd be so kind, the button is up and accepting donations by clicking here now. As always, thank you.

Picture Perfect

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

Translating the artistic idea, whether it is a story, a song or an image, from my mind to whatever media necessary for others to experience it the way I see it in my head is tricky to say the least. I’ve done it a few times and I’m very proud of those moments. One of them is with the image of my father and I playing catch at Lime Ridge in Walnut Creek, California. It’s just a few miles from where I grew up and my parents still live. It’s a place where my high school friends and I would climb up on top of a hill and look down upon the city we lived and grew up in. We were, for that brief moment, dominant; above our problems and worries below.

The image of my father and I works for several reasons. The ball is in flight – meaning the game of catch is active. The game of catch itself indicates the simplicity and the strength of our relationship. Our caps are worn differently, his forward, mine backward, though the jerseys we wear are the same. We are silhouetted against the brilliant blue sky. The grass in the foreground reminds me of “The Natural”, a story with a brief but haunting father/son relationship that is eventually healed at the end of the movie with a new birth.

And so it goes with the image for "Boys of Summer – Second Base". Akin to The Natural, the (relatively) new birth is Giuseppe, my son. He is the next generation and he joined us in this photo shoot. To be clear: this isn’t a sexist thing – I would have happily had my two year-old daughter up on the hill with us, too…but she’s two. The artistic question became about how to capture what was in my mind. Adding a third person to the image complicated the message. The father and son in the first were very clear. Now, in a single image with only limited text (title and tag), how can I convey the message of relationship, the passage of time and the game of baseball? My son’s obvious height disadvantage (he’s four) served to show who he was in relationship to us pretty clearly. But what would he do in the image? I had several ideas - from him playing catch with Grandpa and me watching, to him being between us as we played, to us not even playing at all. 

I'm happy with what came out of the shoot, but I'm still deciding which will be the final image for the poster. So I’m putting up a few different images and would appreciate your opinion of which should be the poster for the new documentary. The pitch for the sequel is "A father, with Parkinson's Disease, and his son explore what's changed in ten years since their 30 Major League Baseball park odyssey in 2004." Tags: Parkinson's Disease, Baseball, Father and Son, America. Tagline: Baseball is a vehicle.

Thank you for your thoughts.

On the road...again

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

 
Traveling back to the Bay Area is cathartic, scary and soul-enriching all at once. This weekend my family took its longest road-trip to date, from Las Vegas to Walnut Creek, CA and did brilliantly.

It's honestly hard to quantify all that we packed into this weekend+, but I'll list a few things that are resonating in my tired head as I ponder sleeping in the bed in the room I grew up in for one more night -- for now.

*Arriving at 1am and being greeted by my very tired but grateful parents.
*Spending the day in San Francisco on our first day here. My son eating clam chowder out of a sourdough bread bowl, as he'd only imagined was possible. Visiting Baker Beach, holding hands with my wife as we looked at the Golden Gate and felt the sand between our toes. Watching our son play in the sand and say, "I really like the beach".
*Shooting the new poster for the Boys of Summer sequel. I'll post more on this later as I need some votes and opinions as to which should be the photo to go with.
*Watching an A's game with my good friend Jonathan Okanes at a local dive bar. The A's won in dramatic, walk-off fashion and Coco Crisp got a pie in the face from Josh Reddick (Pie-derman!).
*Having lunch at an old favorite restaurant in Concord and hearing our son declare that Concord, as a whole, was a boring city.
*Daring a downpour to get to an A's game. Fighting for credentials, a good parking spot and eventually our way into the stadium and down onto the field as the rain stopped and we prepared for a brilliant night. Listening to the boos explode from the crowd about a half hour after the game was supposed to start when the PA announcer declared the game was cancelled due to poor field conditions.
*Seeing a group of great friends and some of their kids at a local park.
*Visiting with my dear Aunt, Uncle and Cousin for precious few minutes in my parents backyard.
*Attending a Hall of Fame dinner for the 1987 Ygnacio Valley basketball team I was a part of -- a team that shocked the world and somehow played for the state championship.
*Lying on the couch with my wife, watching some familiar reruns of Modern Family and feeling time slip away from this beautiful experience.

Baseball is a vehicle. It's part of what brought us here. I'm pulling at the metaphor as it's not all that brought us here, but it was enough to ensure the "necessity" of the trip -- in other words, the motivation that got us to go from idea to execution. That bridge is not to be underestimated. How many ideas, some we swear to be remarkable, never make it past the gatekeepers in our mind or the conversations of fancy with friends, co-workers and loved ones?

Baseball is a vehicle. I don't know where we're headed with this year's venture. We have three days left in our kickstarter and have raised only $200 of the $10,000 we need. It's not likely we're going to raise what we need to make that go - I get that. But I won't quit. I'm scared. I'm disappointed. I'm frustrated. But I'm a long way from quitting. I don't know how to quit. I don't want to. As I told my dad tonight at the Hall of Fame dinner, "We'll make it by hook or crook". Whatever it takes.