I think it's only natural to take a look back at the past year and in this case, the past decade and reflect about life. 2019 was kind of a crazy year for me where everything was pushed off a cliff at the start of the year and I've spent the rest of the year figuring out if I can learn to fly before I hit the ground.
I think, think, I am starting to get a handle on things like who I am and who I want to be and it's caused me to look forward to the massive potential that life holds. And so, I wanted to write out my intentions for 2020, even if it is only for my own purposes.
1. SUPPORTING & COLLABORATING WITH CREATIVES
I'm not going to lie, this has been a part of my life for a long time now. I've been blessed to work with so many incredible people over the past decade and I know there are countless more incredible people in my future projects.
So why is this a thing I'm thinking about as we head into 2020? Because I want to do more. I want to connect more people, I want to buy more art, I want to hire more artists, I want to make collaborations MORE worthwhile for the team, I want to create more community.
2. ART FIRST, MONEY SECOND
Let me be brutally honest here for a second, being a filmmaker in Regina, Saskatchewan is not a particularly lucrative career path. Because of this we look for ways to pay the bills in the meantime. We make corporate videos, social media content, we shoot weddings, we eat, we pay our bills and everyone is happy.
Except there is a problem. While this might look and feel like the reason we got into film, it isn't. When the art suffers, the artist suffers with it. Over the past 8 years in business I've struggled with the balance, every time I try to market services it's like I'm starting a new company. Eventually a word of mouth inquiry comes my way and I do the gig and pay some bills.
So I asked myself, if my marketing isn't effective what is a more effective use of my time?
Art. It's simple really, I am going to spend my time creating what I love so that I can get paid to create what I love. That isn't to say that I am giving up corporate gigs but rather that I am changing my approach towards them to include the creative side of things. The thing is, if I'm not showing the world what I have to offer, how is anyone ever going to know what I have to offer?
3. BE MORE ME
I've learnt a few things about myself this year:
I feel deeply and that's actually pretty dope.
I basically turn into David Letterman when I'm drinking.
I have a huge capacity to create, it is an unceasing beast within.
I have an equally huge capacity for people.
It doesn't really matter what other people think. Like at all. I am the one that is living this life.
It's interesting because I am continually surprising myself. The more I let go of myself, the more of myself I find. The more of myself I find the more I want to discover other's real selves.
Damn, that's some real shit right there.
4. EXPANDING MY HORIZONS
The interesting thing about losing something, or maybe, letting go of something is that it opens a lot of space within. I think I am more open minded than I've ever been in my life and I'm interested in meeting all kinds of people and seeing all kinds of places. I want to try new things and I want to dive deeper into existing things. I'm constantly amazed at what we humans have the capacity for.
5. I'M MAKING A G'DAMN MOVIE
And one last practical thing; in 2020 I will be making a microbudget feature film. I am more excited about this than I have been about a great deal of things. It is big and it is overwhelming but it is right there and I can see it so clearly. I am currently in the funding stage and things are coming along. It's not a done deal yet but things are coming along and I can't wait to get into this.
Grace and Peace
Aaron