I often get asked the question “Ron, will you ever start up Crossing the 180 again?” Or people will generously comment how much they appreciated the podcast and ask me to revive it. And to be honest, I do get tempted every once in a while to do just that. Usually when I’m listening to one of my current favorite podcasts, Chris Fenwick’s FCPX Grill. I miss the long and inspiring conversations with talented artists. I miss geeking out over the art of cinema.
But then I come back to that all important question: am I a podcaster or a filmmaker?
A lot of time and energy goes into finding guests, scheduling interviews, recording, editing, blogging, then tweeting podcasts. I’d rather spend that time and expend that energy finding subjects for the documentaries I want to shoot, then planning those shoots, and (eventually) editing them and writing about them. I need to be about the business of making films.
Yes, I do make a living shooting and editing video, so you might say that I’m already spending a lot of time making films. And  while I do frequently get to tell some amazing stories for my clients, there are other stories I want to tell. Personal stories. But since no one is paying me to tell them, I can only take time to tell them during those few hours during the week when I’m not paying the bills or serving in my role as a dad and husband.
We all need to prioritize the activities in our lives. It’s sometimes the hardest thing to do (especially if you have a family). But we need to be disciplined. That is the only way we can even hope to achieve excellence in our craft. That isn’t to say one day I might not find the time to podcast again. But until that time, be on the look out for films. (And a blog post or two about the making of those films).
What do you need to reevaluate and re-prioritize in your life?
Ron this is spot on. There are so many projects I want to revisit or attempt but at the end of the day, I’m not getting paid so I have to prioritize what passion projects I have to see through and what ones I have to let go of. It’s hard to come to terms with letting some go but once I make the decision I find more joy with my family, more peace with myself because one way or another a decision has been made 🙂
Thanks for sharing Meg. One can get a certain sense of freedom from saying “no.”