I’m going to document all of this in real time for you
Separating my personal and professional lives has never really worked for me. For years, I tried to present different versions of myself across various corners of the film, video, and photography worlds.
It got me somewhere. I tried on many hats. I experienced the texture of different career paths. I learned what it’s like to be at the bottom — and that how a PA is treated tells you everything about the quality of a production.
I also learned I prefer my work under-the-radar — skeletal, low-key, independent.
Rather than chasing big budgets that I would in turn become controlled by, I learned I prefer to prioritize work I care about and to get super, super creative with tiny budgets.
The smaller the budget, the more I had to do myself. This was challenging, but it gave me insights into every stage of the process of production. The greatest blessing of this approach is that the smaller the budget, the less anyone can say about the creative decisions you make. Ironically, this means that with a smaller budget, you can tell a better story if you know how.
This is of course all relevant to the Iba Media Lab (if I may, sorry…). This flexibility I’ve carried through my career—at various places in hierarchies and in the dark corners of sets—allows me to provide realistic perspective on what is worth your time and money in relation to what your aims and means are. This is essential to the consultations I provide. You will not find this level of honesty anywhere.
From a spiritual perspective, when your resource allocation and strategy are aligned with your means and aims, you are joining heaven and earth and you are empowered to share authentically, nakedly. So even if you just have a cell phone and pre-paid sim card, you can relax into your dignity in front of that little cosmic mirror, knowing that your tools were forged for your purpose with integrity.
The other reason the rather indulgent self-celebration of my unique work history is relevant here is this:
I’m tired. I’m tired of pretense and platitudes. I’m tired of mechanistic systems that try to systemize creativity. I’m tired of selling something to you.
I want reality. I want honesty. I’m very loyal to this messy world. I’m not afraid to walk in the mud and I’m not afraid to share myself with you.
So with this blog, and with the Iba Media Lab in general, and in particular during your Mentored Media Month, my promise is that I will show up completely wholly, with my entire self, and with all of my triumphs and crashes and hard lessons and skillsets at your complete disposal.
