Okay, I have a confession to make.
I’ve been feeling exhausted.
Work has been a whirlwind. In this month alone, I would have shot 5 different projects in San Antonio, Portland and Seattle. I’ve been editing various deliverables, scheduled out and shot more for this mini doc I’m doing while in Arizona and trying to manage my fitness. Not to mention everything else in between. My fear is that if I continue to push myself excessively, I will drain myself completely of the creativity I actually want to have during the projects that matter to me.. I’m working on this. I know that I’ll have to look into solutions to find sustainability in what I’m doing.
"Creativity takes courage," as Henri Matisse once said. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, it's a sign that you're pushing boundaries and exploring new territories. Yet, in the flurry of projects and the demands of daily life, I need to prioritize self-care which is something I often overlook. As Rumi beautifully articulated, "The quieter you become, the more you can hear." For me, these moments look like moments of silence where I’m not taking in any input and clearing my mind. It’s also understanding that I can’t do everything all the time.
From the outside, a lot of people think I’m always killing it but the truth is- there are lots of things I’m currently dealing with. And I know as you read this, you might have lots going on in your life too, not just with work but with life. So here’s an extension of grace and encouragement to you. No one has it all figured out! Everyone has doubt and frustration. For us as creatives, we can’t ever forget why we got started on this path in the first place- to create things. Right before I wrote this, I saw this IG reel and it described some of these thoughts perfectly, especially if you’re in a creative field-
Film stills -
Here are some of my favorite stills I was able to capture this last week in Portland at Multnomah Falls, a waterfall I’ve always wanted to see. One thing I try to do when I’m away is to find some moments just for me. I was able to make that happen on the last day on the trip -
Technical specs: Sony A7RV | Sigma ART 24-70mm lens | Treated and graded in Adobe Lightroom
And as I mentioned from last week, the mini documentary I’m working on. Here are some details-
It’s a story on a UK Olympic athlete David King and his life/progression up to the Olympics in Paris this year. I personally met David over a year ago and the more we talked, the more I felt compelled to capture a story around his life, not only as the Olympic athlete most know him by, but also as a human being. I shot a scene with him and his fiancé Sarah on a normal evening capturing them together, cooking, talking and doing life together. This will be a great scene that’ll break up all of the sports/Olympic hype! Color is still being tweaked but below are a few screen grabs from that scene -
Technical specs: Sony Cine FX6 | Sigma ART 24-70mm lens w/ Promist 1/4 Strength | DCI 4K 1.90
And yes, the shirts will still be coming out. I haven’t had time to set everything up with that but you can expect a link to those tees to purchase in the next newsletter!
My music pick -
I’ve been jamming to this mix by BUNT. It’s an electronic/folk fusion that sounds so good. I’ve been listening to it on lots of runs, in the gym or during work -
And as always, I’ll see you in a few weeks. Have a great day.
Best,