Big Dreams, Comfort Zones & Good Mentors
No images? Click here
“When setting out on a journey, do not seek advice from those who have never left home.”
-- Rumi
This quote from Rumi is an excellent reminder that when you are looking to embark on a new journey or gain new skills you need to seek advice from people who have already walked the path. Many have gone before you, so there will always be people you can reach out to or find information online. There are plenty of networking sites that fit your niche and lots of people with the right experience will be willing to point you in the right direction. You can watch videos on YouTube, buy courses in your chosen area, work with a mentor or get a good coach. You can find something that fits your resources and start today and I'll do a round-up of good sites in a future newsletter.
Many of us fall into the trap of listening to the advice of the people around us - people we trust and have strong bonds with. However, we need to be mindful that they may not have the experience in the areas we want to explore so their "advice" will be biased based on their assumptions or simply a desire to keep you "safe" (in their worldview). By all means, listen to your inner circle but be mindful that their advice may not always be coming from the place you want to go. You may need to politely decline and choose again.
I recently shared a story about Lindsey Stirling on my coaching Instagram page and this underlines this story and goes one step further. Have a listen and decide what dream you want to make real, then start to take small steps towards it.
I took a significant step towards mine this week - more on that in the future - so what are you going to do that's outside your comfort zone this week?
I'll leave you with another quote in the same vein ...
“A Ship in Harbor Is Safe,
But that Is Not What Ships Are Built For.”
-- John A Shedd
Until next time ... !
WORK IN PROGRESS
I joined Raindance last month and have attended 2 short courses on filmmaking so far, and went to their monthly short film presentation evenings. If you are interested in filmmaking, I recommend getting on board - they even have a free membership so you can stay in the loop. I sprinkled in a little networking with CineCircle & Raindance too making some good new connections. Add in a couple of auditions and a callback, and it's been a good couple of weeks.
SCREEN
7★ - Marvel: What If ... ?
I started watching this when it first came out and drifted away. I didn't realise each episode was part of an overall multiverse arc for the series and, after watching all episodes, came to enjoy the show more than my initial foray suggested I would. There are themes in the animated series that have bled over to the live-action shows, and you can see it - in part - as a set-up for everything else. In animated form, it works well and feels much closer to the comic format and so more true to the source material. And given the "superhero fatigue" we are all suffering (amongst other reasons for the poor live-action box office receipts in this genre) maybe it's time to double down on some good animation instead?
8★ - Birdman
In the director's workshop a couple of weeks ago we were all given scenes from this film to work on and be directed in. This was a great experience and, having wanted to see the film since its release, I finally watched it. Michael Keaton was excellent and the cinematography felt like it was (almost) a continuous take. This heightened the emotional angst felt by Riggan (Keaton) and helped draw us on his descent (ascent?) after being a successful superhero movie star who was now making a Broadway show based on a Raymond Carvery short story in order to feel relevant again. OK, that may be a little brief, but that's the gist. Great performances from all the cast, and good to see Edward Norton too (I like his work). Birdman won the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography from a total of nine nominations.
7½★ - Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
I'm not normally one for documentaries, but having recently "discovered" Selena Gomez through the show Only Murders in the Building (which is excellent) and seeing she is a producer on the show also, I wondered who she was (yes, I must have been living under a rock). Not sure how to rate it as I have little to compare it to, but I did tune out a couple of times hence the reduced rating. The biography/ documentary showed a deep insight into Selena's life and struggles with anxiety, lupus and the mental health toll life has taken on her, as well as her campaign to turn this distress into a beacon for others who are suffering anything similar. Powerful and transformative quotes from her journal throughout. It leaves you with the feeling that you are enough no matter how broken you may feel or whatever life may throw at you.
BOOKS
I finished the first of The Witcher audiobooks by Andrzej Sapkowski and narrated by Peter Kenny. Overall it was an enjoyable journey, though I occasionally felt like some of it meandered. However, I know that it's not a short series so I am sure these elements will serve the world-building and sew the seeds for later events. Should I dive into book 2 straight away, or diverge onto a different path to listen to something new?
