Over the past few years, I have been doing my best to maintain and invest in my own creative business.
As much as I would like to say I am on top of all that I own, use and have fallen into using, it’s simply not true.
The truth is, I am often either emergency replacing an item (aka my laptops) and rushing to update, set up and use than genuinely taking my time and learning what these items are capable of.
I also know that personality does play a part in this. I know a few creative-based individuals who obsess over a new tool/software and would spend all of their free time figuring them out until they have mastered them. Admittedly, that is not me. I need reasons for using something, a personal or professional project, to wrap my head around using something. Although this is how I genuinely learn best, it also does naturally, at times, leave gaps.
This year, I decided to change that and am working on learning in-depth each of my tools and software.
To stay accountable to this goal, I will be updating over time what I have learned.
Equipment
Blue Yeti Mic - Used for podcast recordings & various radio docs.
Zoom h4n Pro Audio Recorder - A recent birthday gift to support my audio documentaries
Canon EOS RP - For creative and documentary captures.
MacBook Pro 14 Inch - 2021 - For every single thing I do.
Software
Final Cut Pro - For editing any footage that I use.
Final Draft 12 - For screenwriting.
Celtx - For Audio script writing
Grammarly Editor - To catch everything I am too busy to catch. ****A Ukraine business.******
Audacity - For exporting and editing audio clips.
& with all of this said, I recognize that it is a huge privilege to have these items at my disposal, and I am determined to end 2022 with a greater grasp on how I can use them to their highest potential.
Wrapping up a year, it’s easy to get caught up in the next thing.
I’ll be the first to say I love planning and jumping into the new
but,
before the jump,
let’s pause and take a moment to celebrate the wins of 2021.
Completing the ‘Owning It’ series alongside Natalie Dobbin and Claire Fraser was a high. Both Claire and I worked hard under our Brilliansea umbrella to create space for showcasing the skills of various women. in Owning It, we were able to share that with a broadcaster. I am so proud of our work under Brilliansea and the Owning It series.
The radio doc ‘Speak to Me!’ for CBC radio produced by Natalie Dobbin was indeed a piece of my heart in audio format. It was a learning experience to understand how to take an idea and format it for radio, but it was a fulfilling experience that left me inspired and ready to produce and create more.
The radio series ‘What We Carry with Us’ with Natalie Dobbin and Megan Piercey Monafu. A labour of love and a way to showcase a varying take on documenting the memories and people we love.
Along with these projects I have:
Finished production on a podcast for WIFT-AT.
Finished a pilot episode first draft on a drama.
Started a children’s book with a good friend and illustrator.
In collaboration with another actor and writer on a television series.
The wins are so important to remember.
It allows us to recognize that growth has occurred, and
the reminder that it will happen again.
You are never done growing.
Over the Summer, I worked alongside CBC Producer Natalie Dobbin and my good friend from high school playwright, director and writer Megan Piercey Monafu to create a three-episode series that discusses the mementos we make and carry with us.
This series is the outcome of what happens when you sit down with a good best friend from your past over video chat, catch up and discuss what is going on in each other's lives. It led us to reflect on the notes we have kept and created conversations that morphed into this beautiful three-episode series featuring not just ourselves but two other smart, intelligent, and deep women.
This year I was privileged to join Lynn Matheson with a project in development stage to Cynthia Knights five day crash course on creating a pitch document and a stellar logline through the PEI Screenwriters Bootcamp.
Both Lynn and I were tipped upside down with the approach Cynthia uses to the early development stages of a project.
In many ways, the information wasn’t new, and yet, that back to the basics approach that Cynthia gave us was was a game changer.
The Takeaways
Courses with a writing/creative partner are always more fun. (built in support system)
Spending the time reworking and truly honing a logline is a key that seemingly fundamentally simple will unlock the real story.
Never underestimate what is beneath your ideas. You have to mine for gold.
PSA
If you have’t heard Cynthia describe the goals and intention of a logline, I highly suggest you find a way to get it straight from her.
As the Autumn has progressed I am finding the pulse of truth become known to me.
It’s not a new concept by any means.
But it is a practice. A consistency. Meditation in the form of trust and gut.
It’s showing up to serve the work to move it forward.
Moving a project forward can feel invigorating.
It can feel like one is wonder woman and literally saving the day.
It can also feel like monotony.
The dirty work.
The scrubbing the floor just to have millions of feet walk all over it again.
And there it is. That pulse. It is steady and true.
Although one may feel that there is nothing to show for what one did to ‘move it forward’ today. There is an accumulation of days that can bring ‘it’ to the light.
It is something that only tenacity, grace and a bit of a stubborn nature can produce.
May we not discredit our work, no matter how big or how small.
How much the paycheck is or isn’t.
How many likes we receive or don’t.
How loud the applause or how quiet.
May we be more focused on serving the work before us and moving it forward to its next right place, even just a smidge more.
Eventually, we’ll look behind us and realize we climbed a mountain and despite the results and how many people saw,
we did it.
Over the past few months, Kaitlyn Adair and I have been preparing and in the beginning of stages of leading to create a podcast for WIFT-AT. It is an honour to work with innovative, intelligent and thoughtful women in the film and television industry, and this project has me both overjoyed and nervous.
It’s a sacred opportunity.
To cultivate a series that will not only highlight the work of others but also find new inroads, spaces and voices in the industry we didn’t know existed. Coming close to completing our team of various hosts that will span four provinces, we are looking towards putting the pedal to the metal from pre-production to production.
As all creative projects begin,
we don’t know where this road will ultimately take us all, or how it will take full shape. Still, we are confident that it is starting to reveal itself as an exciting and tremendous opportunity to dig deep, embrace vulnerability and hear from new and old voices.
A huge thanks to those at WIFT-AT who keep digging deep and creating a foundation for new ideas, projects and working to clear space at the table for those we have yet to meet and hear from.
For my interest and light professional development, I took up ‘The Beautiful No’ by Sheri Salata, Executive Producer of the Oprah Show, for five years.
Entering into my journey in the film and television industry the last four years as a writer and producer have me interested in taking in the stories of others who have journeyed into the film industry later, rather than straight from university.
Sheri comes into her experience as a producer after an eclectic series of professional roles and choices.
What I learned from this book:
Everyone hits moments where they are entering a new chapter of their life and need to re-evaluate. No matter how successful.
Making the next right choice matters over worrying about what you haven’t done yet.
If something is telling you that you want something, it’s probably not wrong; it just may not be the right time yet.
Welcome the no’s and keep going.
On set with mama. 2019
Over the past year I have been on a journey on what it means ‘for me’ to be both my daughters primary care giver and to be active in my chosen career.
What I have found thus far:
I schedule around the time with my daughter.
Before a new work week begins, I sit down and see where the windows of time will be where she is on a visit to a grandparents, will be doing activities with her father or anyone else. Then I schedule in my work after that. (notwithstanding, previously arranged meetings, appointments or filming shoots.)
I honour the work and my daughter.
There are days I would rather just kick it around the house or goof off with a friend, but I realize if I don’t show up for both my daughter and my work I become resentful to whatever has distracted or is keeping me from either.
I grow at my own right pace.
As I grew into this motherhood thing, I realized that I valued my work and wanted to grow and mature professionally in a manner that was steady, healthy and challenging in all the right ways. My pace and someone else’s pace will be different and that’s okay.
What I wish others knew
I work really hard to be present.
I give you and my life 100% of me, which is naturally just a part of who I am as a person. It also means I can drain my reserves quickly if I am not managing myself properly and keeping margin in my daily life.
I love being there for both my daughter and my work.
There is nothing that makes me happier than having a day with a meaningful activity with my daughter and getting some work done amidst it all.
I need you to reach out to me too.
I take maintaining relationships seriously, and I have realized that although I am the driving force in many relationships, I need someone else to take the drivers seat off and on.
*A Note on ‘Being Busy’ & Celebrating the Exhaustion…
There is this unfortunate celebration of the woman who is balancing everything and continues to take on more and more. We like to enjoy saying ‘look at her, she does it all!’ We don’t take the time to look at how all of those things are affecting her personal and professional life in ways that are unseen. We just see the list of tasks and roles and celebrate , like it’s a ticket to success to be run into the ground with nothing but a few hours to sleep at night.
fyi: that’s not long lasting success. That’s a fast ticket to a burn out. I won’t be boarding that train ya’ll.