EMOTIONS CAN BE YOUR CREATIVE SUPERPOWER

Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker, painter, musician, writer, or any kind of artist, here are some essential tips to help you find success in your creative journey:

1. Master Your Craft: Practice consistently and refine your skills. Take classes, seek mentorship, and stay open to learning. Mastery comes from dedication and hard work. Be the best you can at your art form. Be passionate about your art.

2. Be Authentic: Stay true to your unique voice and vision. Authenticity resonates with audiences and sets you apart from others in your field.

3. Build a Portfolio: Create a strong portfolio showcasing your best work. This will serve as your professional calling card when seeking opportunities and clients.

4. Network: Connect with other artists, industry professionals, and potential collaborators. Attend events, join online communities, and engage with social media platforms to build your network.

5. Promote Your Work: Utilize social media, personal websites, and online galleries to promote your art. Consistent self-promotion helps you reach a wider audience and attract opportunities.

6. Stay Resilient: The creative journey can be challenging, and rejection is a part of the process. Stay resilient, learn from setbacks, and keep pushing forward.

7. Diversify Your Skills: Explore different mediums, styles, and techniques. Versatility can open up new opportunities and keep your creative process exciting.

8. Seek Feedback: Constructive criticism can help you grow as an artist. Seek feedback from trusted mentors, peers, and your audience to improve your work.

9. Set Goals: Establish clear, achievable goals for your artistic career. This will help you stay focused and motivated as you work towards your vision.

10. Take Care of Yourself: Artistic success is a marathon, not a sprint. Prioritize self-care, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and nurture your well-being to sustain your creative energy.

Success is a personal journey, and it’s defined by you, by your standards, by your goals – not by others. Stay passionate, stay curious, and most importantly, enjoy the process of creating art. 

In producing my international multi-award-winning indie film “Not One More”, I connected with my intense feelings regarding domestic violence. It was a subject which made me intensely angry and deeply sad. I used those painful feelings to create a message, a film which expressed my point of view on that terrible crime. It was hard exploring those feelings of anger, pain, helplessness, disgust, and so much more. But it was necessary. Before I even thought about making a movie on that subject, a woman I knew shared her suffering under domestic violence. Her story was so horrible. It brought back my own experiences as a child surving in a home shattered by domestic violence. I used those awful feelings to create "Not One More!"

You can use  your intense emotions to create your art, also. Whether they be intense feelings of joy and happiness, or otherwise. What makes you angry? What makes you sad? What makes you joyful? 

Here are some ways to use your intense emotions to create powerful works of artistic expression:

1. Writing: Use your emotions to craft compelling stories, poetry, or essays. A broken heart, for instance, can inspire vivid and touching prose or poetry.
2. Painting/Drawing:  Let emotions dictate your strokes, colors, and shapes. Anger might lead to bold, aggressive lines, while serenity might inspire soft pastels and calm imagery.
3. Music Composition: Create melodies or lyrics that mirror your feelings. Happy emotions can yield upbeat tunes, while melancholy might inspire      soulful ballads.
4. Photography: Capture the essence of your emotions through photography. Play with lighting, shadows, and perspectives to translate your feelings visually
5. Dance: Express emotions through movement. Graceful, flowing movements can evoke joy or calm, while sharper, more aggressive steps might express frustration or power.
6. Acting: Dive deep into your emotions to portray a character more authentically or create powerful theatrical or film performances.
7. Crafts: Channel your emotions into crafting objects like pottery or sculptures.  Your feelings can influence the form, texture, or purpose of your creation.
8. Journaling: Writing about your emotions can help you process them and lead to   insightful or inspiring content.
9. Cooking/Baking: Pour emotions into culinary creations. The flavors, presentation, or even      the act of making food can become an artistic outlet.
10. Fashion Design: Use your emotions as inspiration for clothing designs,  experimenting with colors, textures, and forms that represent your inner state.

Creativity thrives when you embrace your emotions and let them fuel your imagination.

As an independent filmmaker with no money from outside investors, I’ve discovered that making a film is a huge challenge, an uphill struggle against countless obstacles and unforeseen factors that rise up unexpectedly. Yet, it’s also an incredible journey of learning and self-expression. If you're passionate about filmmaking, whether you’re taking a film class, directing your first short, or joining film groups, here’s some general advice from my experiences. I’ll use my hard-earned experience from the independent movies that I have produced, such as our international multi-award-winning film “Not One More!” on domestic violence. Hopefully you’ll learn something from my hits and misses – honestly, more misses than hits.

First, filmmaking is a fantastic way to dive into new subjects. When you decide to create a film, you'll often find yourself researching extensively about the topic you're portraying. This could be anything from historical events to scientific concepts or cultural practices. The process of making a film forces you to learn and understand these subjects deeply, enriching your knowledge and broadening your horizons. Yes. There will be lots of researching, reading, investigating, asking questions, interviewing – unless you want to be one of those that just makes up stuff, using preconceived ideas of topics – yes – I know people like that. Some of them are dear friends of mine who believe on just writing away story ideas without a minute’s worth of research. And their writing shows it. Good writing requires research. There’s no way around it. Trust me. If you want a good story, you’ll have to do some research.

Second, films are powerful tools to express concerns about social or existential issues. As an independent filmmaker, you have the freedom to choose topics that matter to you and bring them to the forefront. Films about domestic violence, mental health, or environmental concerns can raise awareness and spark conversations. Don’t underestimate the impact your voice can have. By addressing these issues through your films, you can inspire change and make a difference. But, to do this you must have a passion for what your film is about. You must be touched by the subject. You must be truly bothered by the subject, moved to tears or rage, touched deep within your heart, be filled with an obsession on the subject - you have to have passion. Maybe you’re bothered by some social issues that have touched you or your loved ones; maybe you’re still hurt by that girl that could’ve been your true love; maybe you’re obsessed with the idea of how space travel works, or some other technological magic; maybe you embrace your fears and you want to share that – whatever it is that moves you, that’s your passion – that’s your motivation to make your film, or book, or song, or painting, or whatever it is you want to create – but you have to have passion. Without passion you have nothing.

Lastly, filmmaking enhances your communicative skills. Whether you're working with a small crew, attending a film class, or participating in filmmaking courses online, effective communication is key. You'll need to convey your vision clearly to your team, give constructive feedback, and collaborate with others. This not only improves your ability to articulate thoughts and ideas but also fosters teamwork and cooperation. Yes. Making a film is teamwork. You will need to work with others. Terrifying, isn’t! But that’s the truth. You will have to learn to work with different type of people, with different personalities, with different hangups, with different sensitivities and eccentricities. Yes! Filmmaking work is like that. As a filmmaker, you will have to be writer, director, leader, counsellor, father-type, hero, villain, negotiator, accountant, businessman, etc. etc. All to get that film made.

So, my advice is to embrace the journey of filmmaking wholeheartedly. Enroll in that filmmaking course online, join film groups, and start creating. The process will challenge you, teach you, and ultimately make you a better storyteller. Remember, every film you make is a step towards mastering your craft and making your voice heard.

So, here we go. I’m going to share with you how we made our no-budget international multi-award-winning film "Not One More!"