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Week 10
Jordyn Dunseath
April 16, 2024
TIP OF THE WEEK
Take a moment, pause, and think about the things in your day that you do subconsciously. Things like breathing, swallowing, blinking, etc. Now, I want you to consider what habits have entered that subconscious space. Has it become automatic to pick up your phone when you feel yourself needing a break? Has it become routine to turn music on the moment you get into the car? Maybe just today - try to be aware of these things you do so naturally. If there are dreams you’ve been wanting to pursue, can you redeem any time in your day by choosing a different habit? What if you voice recorded a video idea on your way home from work instead of listening to music? What if you picked up your camera instead of your phone and took a photo of something during your 5 minute mind break? Food for thought.
JORDYN UPDATES
Highs of the week: | Reality of the week: |
Hi! You guys have been so kind lately with the feedback on the newsletter. It seems like this section where I just share thoughts and updates on what’s going through my head is helpful to you. That makes me so happy. I really want this newsletter to be something you enjoy and look forward to so it was really encouraging to hear that’s the case for you! Thanks for being here!
So this week, as mentioned above, I was beat. So so so tired. I was on 2 hours of sleep coming back from my trip and had 3 meetings that same day I travelled. I started to feel the pressure of maintaining everything I was pursuing. Thankfully, I quickly realized it was just self-imposed pressure. So, I decided to stop and slow my roll just like I’ve been encouraging all of you to do as well. The things I wanted to do were not time sensitive and while they would have helped my business if I did do them - I knew my business wouldn’t die overnight if I didn’t either. So instead, I prioritized my health and rested. Well…kind of, haha, hear me out.
I actually didn’t stop working. BUT I could have never anticipated how much my mental space would free up by giving myself the permission to do nothing. As a result, I ended up pursuing something I’m super passionate about that I’ve been neglecting for years. I started a podcast. Call me crazy. “Jordyn, I thought you were supposed to rest, not literally start an entire new endeavor”. I hear you. I genuinely could get better at actually resting but man does it feel good to do something just for fun.
I have no expectations at all for the podcast. I do not care in the slightest if it does well. Similar to what I mentioned above about the bouldering - I’m realizing how important it is to have things in my life that I do just because I have fun doing it. See, I LOVE my career. I LOVE filmmaking and photography. But, if I pursued it only for fun, I literally couldn’t do it for a living. I wouldn’t be able to financially support myself. The reality is - I’m doing what I love for my career but it’s also a business that I have to maintain. And that’s okay - I’m good with that.
That’s why it was so refreshing this week to pursue a passion with no expectations attached to it. If people hate the podcast, if it fails to ever have listeners - I don’t mind. I have always wanted to start one and I did it! And I’m having fun! I recorded two VERY spontaneous episodes. I still have to design the logo and everything which is also FUN.
I could keep going on but my encouragement to you this week is to evaluate how you’re doing and what you really need. I was getting burnt out doing something I love just because of the unnecessary pressure that I put on myself. I’m not giving up on those things, I just simply needed a break. That break helped me remember something else I’m passionate about and gave me the freedom to pursue it. Nothing changed about my circumstances besides my mindset. I hope that reminder helps you see some things more clearly in your life too.
Instead of a weekly video this week, I’m sharing my spontaneous intro episode to the podcast if you want to check it out!
This probably won’t be the final cover art. I made it super quick just to have something out there. We’ll see.
This week’s creative challenge:
Actually do one of the previous week’s challenges 😉. Haha, I know many of you have been loving these but haven’t gotten around to it so I’m challenging you to actually complete one this week! Here’s a recap:
• Week 1: Make a boring scene come to life with just SFX.
• Week 2: Do a star timelapse.
• Week 3: Take just one creative photo with whatever camera you have.
• Week 4: Film a 30 second video in one room.
• Week 5: Build a story with audio first.
• Week 6: Take a stitched panorama.
• Week 7: Get a creative shot using shadows.
• Week 8: Experiment with slow shutter speed in both photo and video.
• Week 9: Bring the camera in the car and actually stop and capture something.
Read the details in past newsletters.
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Let’s change it up a little this week. For those new here, I’m usually recommending camera and filmmaking products…but for those pursuing this as a freelancer…contracts are so important. So I wanted to share with you where I get my contracts from. They are expensive…but they’re worth it. The Legal Paige is awesome. Here’s a screenshot of the website. She offers so much more too! I think she even has contracts for AI stuff now - so she stays up to date for sure!
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AN EXTRA FOR THOSE WHO MAKE IT TO THE BOTTOM OF MY EMAILS :)
Honestly, so random. Here’s a photo I took a long time ago but I still really like it. I don’t know that guy. I hope he’s living a great life right now. If I ever print this out and put it in my house, isn’t it strange that that guy will never know he’s in a printed photo in a house? What are your thoughts on that? What if you’re hanging in someone’s house right now? Haha, okay, it’s getting a little weird. I’ll stop now.
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Have a great day!
Best, Jordyn
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