The annual year in review is something I both loathe and love.
Every year I reject, then embrace, the idea of writing it. It’s too daunting to sum up 12 months in one short blog post. It also feels a bit cliché every time.
But what happens while writing – and subsequently sharing after I publish the post – is pretty amazing. That’s why I keep doing it every year.
When I stop to write about the last year, it forces me to stop long enough to appreciate every challenge, victory, and lesson learned – no matter how big or small.
It helps me document how far I’ve come in the last 12 months. This provides a loving reminder to myself that this whole filmmaking thing is a journey I should cherish. Every step of the way is important.
Documenting stuff like this has always been a big part of my life.
When I moved recently, I found a heap of old journals filled with joy, strife, and dreams. (Like, a really big stash I didn’t know where to put, should my great great grandchildren find out that I habitually cuss like a sailor.)
See, writing has always been my friend. I read voraciously as a kid; could never get enough books. Writing came naturally as a result, and it gave me a way out of my own head when I needed it most.
You’ve got to understand …
Growing up in eastern North Carolina, watching the sun set over the Pamlico River as the sailboats returned to harbor, I found myself lost in reflection on a daily basis. The introspection brought peace and understanding. The solitude in nature fed my soul and my creativity. Writing was my way of coping with the crushing burdens of daily life. I needed it. (I was also a bit melodramatic as a kid.)
Today that introspection, reflection, and writing simply takes a different shape: blogging.
I’ve been blogging for more than 10 years, which seems unthinkable. But it’s true. My first blog was on MySpace in 2005, and it was about moving to LA to become a filmmaker – right before I found an improv class here in Raleigh, N.C.
Funny enough, years later one of my fellow improvisers suggested a beer after a show one night. We started dating shortly afterwards and next year we’ll celebrate our third wedding anniversary. It feels like we started dating yesterday.
Time passes so quickly.
It feels like an honor to spend a little time capturing 2015. So much happens so quickly, especially while you’re chasing dreams like I am. Every day is a beautiful, rip-roaring challenge. I don’t want to let it pass without saying thank you.