March 10, 2010
Dear Erik:
Thank you for sharing your movie, your vision along with your heart and soul at the screening last night here in Chicago.
I would like to thank Dan Bulf, Founder of GetReal-Online.com, for giving me a heads up on this screening. And I can't forget to thank Zygmunt Dyrkacz, Artistic Director of Chicago's Chopin Theatre, for being such a gracious host - providing the theater space for free.
David Dalka, a business strategy consultant and marketing speaker, may do more to spread the classic quote from Zygmunt as we were heading down into the basement of the Chopin theater: "Alot of revolutions started with meeting in basement."
Your movie represents proof of the final manifestation of a real revolution that has been happening all over the world since the birth of the Internet int he 1990's. In March 1999 I had the honor of being one of the signers of the Cluetrain Manifesto where I wrote the following:
Frederick K. Smart, President, Smart Bandwidth, LLC - "The internet has checkmated all world corporations. The revolution has begun. For the first time in world history we can truly say 'the individual is King'. The Old Business model: taking energy, hold cards to your vest, my win is your loss, 'they gotta come to me/us' is history.... The New Business model of the internet - open up, talk, share, help, serve, win/win etc, - more clearly maps the truth of our innate spirituality. Give and you will receive more. Do unto others. True capitalism is finally going to see it's day in the sun. Serving others. Going to them humbly with something of value in hand, thinking from their perspective, etc. But to do this you have to be 'out there' or 'wacko' by the defined/boxed standards of the Old Business model which ruled the world until recently. We have four words that define progress and they all have to do with communication: MEET NETWORK EMPOWER GROW The good people who truly love to serve and help others and who aren't in it for themselves will have the upper hand in the next millennium. One word describes this revolution best: GO!!"
Your short 36 minute movie, Lemonade, does an incredible job of capturing the true spirit-essence of this revolution: it's about the awakening of the real human spirit of the individual. It's a "coming out into this new light of day" - away from the dusty-dank caves and catacombs of an age that worshiped at the alter of control and power which has been enslaving the spirit of the individual. The good news is that even the controllers are laying down their torches and exiting the caves. Humanity is in the process of coming out into this new light of day that is dawning in our world where we are relearning what it means to be "real" - ie. the value of "risk", simple-humble acts of helping and serving others, listening to our inner spiritual voice as we are guided and taught by the Divine Providence of our creator.
Lemonade is not just a movie, it's central to what I believe is a global movement that will reconnect mankind back to the Divine grid where intelligence, fun, peace, music, song, dance light and love will spread and rise and lift us into a new dimension of understanding our true inner spiritual nature that comes from our creator. I believe very strongly that you have been selected by the Divine Providence to shed light on the simple underpinnings of this new design that is manifesting. For years I have referred to this process as the manifestation of "smartbandwidth" - ie. establishing new connections between individuals, resources, services and opportunities that are filled with intelligence, light, love, wonder and an innocence - filled with risk - that hearkens back to our childhood when we were "more real and alive", etc.
A wonderful older gentleman, Dean Fagerstrom, wrote this next paragraph which gets to the core of describing the essence of this energy of light and love you bore witness to in your movie. I refer to it as "The Essence of Smartbandwidth" as follows:
Greatness is having never intended it. It is the humility of heart and mind that remains unchanged by public disdain. It is a discovery of something valuable within the deepest source of being, and which fearlessly expresses itself although inconvenient and unfashionable to do so. It is the inspiration of the truth within and yet apart from the individual, and it is the act of knowledge which distinguishes popular acclaim from the profound voice of the soul within which says: Well done, my good and faithful servant. Greatness is the unaided event of the truth because a soul has listened to God rather than to man. It is the integrity of truth which has granted the individual his or her own integrity without supplication or solicitation. It is the transformation from a self-acclaiming and self-blaming person into someone whose only loyalty and allegiance is to the truth itself and for the sake of love. From "The Mission of Anglion" by J. Dean Fagerstrom
Thanks again for taking the time and manifesting the risk to reach out and allowing yourself to get on the road to becoming what all of us need to do more of: becoming an open-free conduit - a connector - for the energy, light and love of our creator to shine through the lives of others who have been called to freely receive and share the same new energy of light and love that is the core essence of Lemonade - both the movie and the movement. This movement needs more open conduits like you that become connectors that can help to shine and spread this new light and truth that will remake our world.
I feel very honored and humbled to have shared some time with you and Josh and Zygmunt - along with 4 of friends that I invited - in the basement of the Chopin Theatre last night until just past midnight. Zygmunt was/is right: all great revolutions have started in basements. And now we are back into the light of the world for a new day is dawning!
Thanks again. Keep up the great work! And please stay in touch!
Peace and God Bless,
Fred Smart
Evanston, Illinois
847-878-8090
PS. For all media inquiries, contact: Jeremy Walker Jeremy Walker + Associates
Huffington Post: "It's Not A Pink Slip, It's A Blank Page:" Lemonade Shows Life After Layoffs
NPR On Point With Tom Ashbrook: Life After Layoffs (Link to Podcast)
AgencySpy: Lemonade: People Were Totally Crying
ABC News Now: From Laid Off To Lemonade
ABC News Now: The Art Of Reinvention
Fast Company Squeeze Your Lemonade
CBS Evening News With Katie Couric Making "Lemonade" After Losing Livelihood
Time.com Unfiltered: Creative Unemployment
NPR When Life Hands You Lemons...
Fast Company Looking Beyond the Pink Slips: Lemonade the Movie Offers Inspiration for Plan B
Boston Business Journal Former ad man's 'Lemonade' refreshes at the Brattle Theater
Christian Science Monitor Lost your job? Documentary details layoffs' sweet side
AdAge It's Not a Pink Slip; It's a Blank Sheet of Paper
