Week 25

Jordyn Dunseath
August 06, 2024

TIP OF THE WEEK

Rest is productive. Period. What does a runner do when they complete a marathon? Rest. What does a musician do when preparing for a tour? They rest their voice. What does one do after coming out of a surgery? Rest. Okay, I know this seems obvious. Does it feel like I’m giving you a “tip” that’s clearly common sense? Well, if you’re honest…when you feel burnt out…do you genuinely rest? When creative juices aren’t flowing…do you consider rest? Or do you judge yourself for not being able to come up with a new idea? I do feel like creativity doesn’t seem as clear as the other examples I gave. It makes perfect sense to call rest “productive” after running a marathon…but less clear when it comes to creative endeavors. When you’re struggling to create, try to come back to it after getting “true” rest. Not procrastination, but “true” rest.

JORDYN UPDATES

Highs of the week:
• I’ve worked hard on creating systems for myself this week to help manage my time and business better and it’s already working. I’m grateful for that.
• I’m finally starting to build a “bank” of content so I can actually feel ahead and not like I’m constantly trying to catch up. I often just get impatient and post what I make right away. I’m working on more patience and strategy for the benefit of my wellbeing.

Reality of the week:
• I honestly still find it rather difficult to do everything by myself haha. Having to cook, take out the trash, have a social life, run a business - it often feels like a lot. I’m not complaining - I am SO grateful for my life. I just feel like I have to relearn how to slow down and resist the temptation of our fast-paced culture every day.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

One of the most important, yet overlooked steps of the creative process is doubt. I am more and more convinced that it’s nearly impossible to get through a project without doubting it at some point. We have to learn to become friends with doubt…because it’s almost inevitable that he’s going to show up to the party every time. I want to encourage you that this is a universal experience though. I can’t speak for everyone of course…but if you keep your ear out, you will notice how often people speak about this - especially creatives. Whether you’re in the middle of a client project, building an idea for a personal project, or pursuing a new business venture, there will probably come a point when you just want to throw in the towel. You’ll wonder if anyone will even care and if you should just try something else.

I can almost guarantee there are thousands of unfinished projects out there that people would have LOVED to see and didn’t because of doubt. So I encourage you to start normalizing this experience. Start expecting doubt and he won’t be as scary when he shows up. If you know it’s just part of the process, it will be so much easier to push past that feeling. Odds are…if you decided to pursue an idea, it was probably worth it. So even when the doubt comes, it is still worth it to keep going.

Sometimes it’s easy to feel like other creators don’t struggle the same way you do. Well let me tell ya…I have doubted that this newsletter is valuable at all. I have doubted my online community. I have doubted my ability to run a business. I have doubted that I’m even creative. I’ve had all of the thoughts. But I keep fighting. What’s crazy is sometimes external validation doesn’t even work. I have thousands of people tell me that they love what I’m doing and I’ve still even doubted then. So that proves to me that this is something that I have to work out within myself. Nobody can fix it for me. I have to believe in myself.

I hope you can find a way to believe in yourself too. I know you have so much to offer because we all do. Finish that project. Pursue that idea. You got this!

Use this video to encourage a friend :)
Send this to a photographer/videographer’s who’s work you admire.

This week’s creative challenge:

What if you set aside one entire day this week to create? If you work a full time job - what if you scheduled in a Saturday to actually use for creativity? We put a lot of things on our schedule - why not this?

WANT TO CHAT WITH ME ONE-ONE-ONE?

Do you have specific questions you want answered and don’t know who to ask? Are you in a creative rut and just need someone who understands to encourage you? It is my favorite thing to connect with you guys! No dumb questions here - just two creatives connecting and learning from one another.

60 Minute Video Call | $250

TRACK YOUR FINANCES!

Do you wish you had a way to track your finances and…
• see your spending broken down into categories.
• see your current profit/loss at all times.
• see your progress towards your financial goals.
• be your CPA’s easiest client.
• and so much more… without ever paying for a yearly/monthly subscription?

Well, I built this finance tracker for my own life and business and decided to make a template out of it for you! I hope you enjoy!

MY TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

I use this for all my voiceovers.

The shotgun mic I use

The monitors I use in my desk setup for audio.

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

Hey, I’ll probably announce this more clearly in an email in the coming weeks…but I’m probably going to close down “open enrollment” for my online community (More Than a Filmmaker) soon and only allow in a certain amount of more people. The price will also likely increase soon. So if you’ve been considering joining…now would be a perfect time to get in as an early adopter.

Here are just a few testimonials from active members in the community:

For every member of this community, encouragement is at the core of every interaction- it's a beautiful thing to be supported by people you haven't met in real life in such a genuine way. I've really enjoyed getting to know the other members and receiving feedback and advice not only on creative endeavours but also on my life beyond this (hence we are more than filmmakers!). From weekly chats with new friends from the other side of the world, check-in posts and the conversations on an individual basis through DMs- it has been a very fulfilling and positive experience being apart of the community. (Dan Sommervaille)

This community lets you connect with everyone a lot more than anything I've seen. The atmosphere is always encouraging. Everyone gives valuable feedback. It is definitely worth joining. Also, the live chats are something I had not given much thought about until after I joined. They are a lot more valuable to me than I originally thought for myself. (Drew Roberts)

I think what has exceeded my expectations has been receiving feedback. The type of feedback that I receive is not only honest and helpful, but it’s always presented in an encouraging way. I really appreciate the fact that the other members take the time to view my work and share their thoughts. (Alyssa Barros)

If you’re struggling with creativity and finding a group to feel yourself grow with. 100% suggest More than a Filmmaker. (Samuel Futhey)

If you’re interested in joining, you can check out the landing page below.

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Have a great day!

Best, Jordyn

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