Week 5

You want me to be honest? This week has been a hard one for me. Some personal life circumstances have just put me more into a funk than I would like. I share this because it’s real. I’m the kind of personality that is used to being resilient in almost every circumstance that comes my way. But sometimes that resilience is at the expense of being actually kind to myself. Kindness this week was allowing myself to not work as hard as I have been. Spending time actually grieving the things I needed to grieve.

Why am I sharing? Why do you care? Haha, well you don’t have to. But I just like to continue to bring in the realistic view of life too. Regardless of the “authenticity trend” of social media right now - it still NEVER gives you insight into the actual reality of someone’s life. You will always only see part of the picture.

I know that’s not a new concept for anyone - but this is just a reminder. A reminder that everyone is navigating this same thing called life. Yes, some people’s circumstances are naturally harder, or easier, but we all still experience the same emotions. All of us have, at some level, felt joy, grief, heartbreak, sadness, happiness, etc - because emotions are synonymous with the human experience.

The absolute best thing we can do for ourselves on a harder week is practice gratitude. There is always something we can be grateful for. I know this week’s newsletter isn’t as focused on filmmaking or creativity, I appreciate your understanding, but this is real too. This is part of the experience. Creativity can be harder when we’re having a down week. At the same time, some of the most beautiful and captivating stories often emerge from the struggle too.

What is one thing that separates a boring documentary from an inspiring one? Often, emotion. The human experience behind it. Boring documentaries are just facts. Inspiring documentaries tell a story with all the ups and downs that life throws at us. I hope somehow that encourages you this week. I hope it also opens up your mind on how to tell even better stories. Who knows - a hard week in life may be the key to the next best film you’ve ever produced.

This week’s creative challenge:
A unique way I edit videos sometimes is by starting with the audio first. I will pick a few songs, record a voiceover, download some SFX, and then start building the story. Sometimes I do this even just for the intro of a video to get an idea rolling. It’s definitely a unique approach to storytelling. I encourage you to try it out this week. See what kind of story you can build with just sound. If you love it, then add some visuals that make sense. Before you know it, you’ve created another video - woohoo! It’s fun to experiment!

AN EXTRA FOR THOSE WHO MAKE IT TO THE BOTTOM OF MY EMAILS :)

So you want to know a secret? I’m pretty much ready to launch my online community. If you’re a faithful newsletter reader and you made it all the way down to read this part, I’d love to give you EARLY ACCESS into the community. 🎉

If you’re new here or still don’t know what the online community is really about, the landing page will give you a description of what you can expect inside. Also, I am more than happy to answer ANY questions you have about it before you sign up. Don’t be afraid to respond to this email and ask away.

If you join this week, I just want to say THANK YOU! I appreciate you believing in me and what I’m building. I truly believe this is the beginning of something really special and I’d be thrilled to have you be a part of that beginning with me.

Hopefully see you inside! 😄 

This button will take you to the landing page to learn more about it and then you can become a member from there! WOO!

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Have a great day!

Best, Jordyn

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