OK – I’ll admit it. I nearly cried multiple times while watching the short film Caine’s Arcade. I’m a sucker for the beauty of pure, passionate pursuit. I’m especially prone to leap for joy when I see someone unexpectedly rewarded for their effort. I love a good underdog story.
All of that said, I think that this short film is much more than just a feel-good story. I pulled at least three solid, valuable lessons from this film that I plan to immediately apply to my work.
1. Boredom is more of a statement about the person than the situation. “Hey Caine…want to come spend the summer with me in the back of my barely-trafficked auto parts store?” For most kids this would be summer vacation equivalent of the kiss of death. There was no gaming system. No swimming pool. No television. A perfect excuse for “I’m booooooorrrred.”
But NO. Caine looked around and saw opportunity. Everywhere. Cardboard boxes, packing tape, gadgets and doo-dads. He chose not to be bored. It’s totally a state of mind.
My lesson: If I am bored with my work it is my problem, not the work’s. It is my responsibility to stay interested and forward-looking. Stop whining. The world doesn’t owe you anything.
2. Keep working while the world ignores you. How long was it before Caine had customer #1? How many entrepreneurs or artists would have given up by then, or stopped working at their craft and improving their skills? Caine approached his arcade with craftsmanship and fervor, and that’s what I aspire to do too.
My lesson: Attention is a secondary luxury to the artist focused on craft. It may come, and it may not, but devotion to craft is the one thing I can control.
3. Your craft will cost you something. Did you notice the prizes in the arcade? Caine’s own toys. His vision for his arcade required (demanded!) that he use all of his resources to make it work, and this meant forfeiting his own stuff for the sake of his vision.
My lesson: Ask frequently and answer honestly “am I really putting all of myself into this?” I need to make sure I’m fully backing that which I’m asking others to believe in.
These are just a few things I pulled from this gem of a film. What lesson would you add? Please let us know in the comments.
* This article originally appeared on ToddHenry.com.
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Todd – I also blogged about Caine’s Arcade. Such a cool story but a great message. I like your three takeaways. Here are a few others…
You must allow your customer to see your passion. Caine’s first customer was engaged and then “enchanted” by Caine’s creativity, personality and efforts to create an experience. He made it something to share with others, which this first customer did…to millions now.
It helps when you have a dream to have some supportive people behind you. Caine’s dad could have told him to clean up the mess after the first day or week but he allowed him to “run with it” and look what happened. I’m guessing that the car parts store is a bit busier these days than before the arcade was built so both people won in the long run.
And it’s an obvious lesson but Caine certainly figured out a way to think outside the boxes, inside the boxes, on top of the boxes and around the boxes.
Todd, saw that last week on another blog too! Incredibly brilliant story. I like the way you folded some practical lessons learned into the story.
I think you said it here but what got me was this kid’s perserverence and his dad’s faith in him. Caine likely learned a lot from his father about self confidence and his ability, at such a young age, to never give up. Look at his dad’s story. He could have given up or sold out long ago but he made it work.
I bet a ton of entre or solopreneurs will shoot this down because the kid didn’t have to worry about making money. If you can see your way clear to how this can apply to any walk of life then you have already succeeded. We can all give in anytime. This kid had vision, uncompromising drive and real initiative. If he can win the hearts of the world with some cardboard and tape we have no excuses with the tools and resources at our disposal. Sometimes the simplest of solutions are clouded by our own need to complicate what we do.
Brilliant story.
This was absolutely awesome. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sweet. Thanks for sharing, I hadn’t seen it. What I particularly like about the story (besides seeing Caine manifest his dream) is that it’s about more than just him. That the internet can be used as a tool to pull together these folks for a fun day to stoke a creative, entrepreneurial kid is just awesome. These are the social media stories that keep my heart warm.
I watched a documentary about David Copperfield and he said as a kid, he had a passion for magic, he practiced his magic and then was persistant with his magic – even to the point that he had to prove to his own mother, who doubted him. He calls this the 3 P’s and this is what Caine’s arcade reminds me of. Caine had a passion. He had opportunity to practice his passion and he persisted even when there were no players in his arcade. Creating this arcade was authentic and came from a desire to explore, inquire and learn. Amazing and inspiring.