Hi Reader,
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down to draft this email over the last two months, only to completely scrap it and go back to the drawing board and I’ve been trying to figure out why.
Only recently have I come to the realization:
Authenticity.
It would be disingenuous and inauthentic of me to be sending my usual email fare, without acknowledging the fact that the state of things here in the U.S. feels like one big dumpster fire full of dirty baby diapers…and, honestly, it’s left me at a loss for digging deeper and sharing more here (and with the world general).
What’s the point?
I’ve found myself asking that question a lot lately, as it pertains to art, creativity, career and self-expression. Given the state of current affairs, making films, music or art in general feels more and more like a false errand.
It’s like waking up one day and feeling as though your life’s foundation has a crack that’s so severe, no matter how hard you try, the house is going to crumble.
Again, what’s the point? (There is one…it’s coming)
A few weeks ago I sat down for coffee with a friend and was airing all this dirty laundry, when she dropped this bombshell quote on me.
“Art is the highest form of hope” - Gerhard Richter
I’ve been walking around with that line in my head non-stop and I’ve come to see the pure truth in it.
On the surface, it might seem silly to be making films, writing music or trying to finish that short story. But, if you dig just below the surface, you come to realize those creative acts are the very thing we need to keep us going.
The best example I can think of is this girl, Margot, who is pretty active over on Bluesky - She’s a musician in Kyiv, Ukraine who is recording and releasing music - expressing her art all while her city is regularly under Russian drone and missile attack warnings. And she’s documenting it all on her feed.
This inspires the hell out of me.
Art is one of the things that makes us uniquely human. If we don’t have that, what do we have?
For someone to be putting forth the best of themselves, while enduring the worst of what we, as humans, are able to dish out earns my respect, without question.
So now, when I ask myself “what’s the point?”, I have a much clearer answer:
Art must persist and continue to be created so that those who come after we are long gone will know that all the hopes, dreams, doubts and fears that they are wrestling with have always been there...but we were able to find the beauty in our humanity and carry on.
That’s all for now. More to come. Thanks for being here.
🔥 Hot Takes
- 🐈⬛ FLOW - This animated feature about a cat in a post-human world just won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars this past Sunday. I had a chance to see it about a month ago. It’s beautiful, touching and made by a small team in Latvia using free 3D software. It’s inspiring to see independent films making a huge come back. Oh, and the creator is only 30 years old. Streaming now on Max if you want to check it out
- 📺Zaid Tabani - If you’ve been a bit “doom and gloom” about the political climate here in the States, I highly recommend you check Zaid’s Freestyle News YouTube channel out. He’s a raucous, irreverent breath of fresh air that I just discovered YESTERDAY. So, if you are craving a lighter, F-bomb-laden take on the state of current affairs, give him a watch.
- 📖Calibre - Calibre is a free E-Book management tool that will allow you to manage all your e-books in one place and across devices. Amazon just rescinded the ability to download your kindle purchases from their servers to a computer so it has me looking for other options. I haven’t fully dug in yet but seems to get great reviews.
How we can do more together
When you’re ready, here’s how I can help:
🎙️ My Podcast: My free podcast, No Set Path, unpacks life as a creative entrepreneur through unfiltered conversations and personal stories.
☎️ Discovery Call: I help creatives and entrepreneurs build their authority and expertise online by looking and sounding their best. It’s all in how you show up. If that sounds like you, let’s talk and see if we might be a good fit to work together.
Have a great week.
✌🏻Drew
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