Reader,
If you’re US-based, I hope you enjoyed a restful Thanksgiving Weekend. I thought about rushing this issue out the door ahead of the holiday…but why?! You all had enough Black Friday emails delivered to your inbox to swear-off email for a few days! 🛍️
Now, onto the show…
Something I’ve been trying to get better at for years (and mostly failing) is developing a solid writing habit. I float in and out of consistency with journaling, notebooks, etc. My hope, in getting this newsletter back off the ground, is that it will give me a little bit of accountability to get things out of my head and onto the page - be it physical or digital.
One day last week I started the day with a Morning Pages session (I won’t unpack what Morning Pages is here, but I suggest you click the link). It’s been a while since I’ve done that and I find I get at least ONE good insight out of these writings that really gets me thinking. Here’s the line that really stood out to me this time around:
“Maybe fear and insecurity never go away…you just change how you package them up and take them with you into the world.”
Let that sink in for a moment…
What if, no matter how successful, rich or influential one becomes, there is always fear, doubt and insecurity that creeps in? And what if that’s OK?
Maybe these deep-rooted hang-ups just change and evolve and the best of us simply find more constructive ways to use them to our benefit?
Leading By Example
Since I’ve been in the film industry for over a decade, let’s start there…
Roger Deakins is arguably one of the greatest cinematographers of all time, having shot multiple films for The Cohen Brothers, Shawshank Redemption and Blade Runner 2049, to name a few. He’s got it all figured out, right? Well, he’s been quoted on multiple occasions as struggling with imposter syndrome.
Recently, my buddy (and past guest on No Set Path) Travis Wears sat down with Roger and his wife, James Deakins, on The Cine Kit List Podcast where Roger was quoted as saying, “You doubt yourself everyday…I do”.
Sir Roger (yes, he’s a British Knight) is at the pinnacle of his craft, constantly in-demand and has achieved legendary status in the industry that many would aspire to. By all accounts, he should have none of the insecurities that you and I struggle with, right? WRONG!
Maybe Sir Roger has continued to excel and lens some of the most cornerstone films of the last several decades because he’s made self-doubt work for him, keeping him humble and focused on only those things that are within his control.
Then there’s my friend and L.A.-based Composer, Zach Heyde.
Zach’s a beast. He’s composed music for major studios, has a thriving YouTube channel, built a full on Boot Camp course for other aspiring composers AND has started mentoring a select group of students at a very high-level.
Zach and I are in a Mastermind group together and even though, on paper, he’s crushing it, I’ve seen first-hand how he’s had to repackage his insecurities around letting go of composing Additional Music (writing music for a project under another, lead composer) and turn that into something positive.
Yes, it was extra money, but it also came with extra challenges and was causing other parts of his business to suffer.
Once he was able to get comfortable with being UNcomfortable, new paths and opportunities presented themselves and he’s flourishing.
Now for the personal stuff...
Just before going “freelance” I was holding down a part-time job at an Apple store in NYC and trying to figure out life’s next steps. I knew I wanted to make a change and get back to pursuing a creative career, but wasn’t sure what that looked like.
On my off days, I taught myself to shoot and edit video and had made a personal project or two that I sent around to a few friends and connections. Off the back of that, I was offered a gig as an assistant editor on a big project for three months.
The catch? I had to be available full-time hours for the duration of the project. If I wanted to make a change, I needed to quit my job and let go of a consistent paycheck.
Was I afraid to take that leap? You bet.
Fast forward to today and I’ve been self-employed in some way, shape or form for just over a decade.
That decision led to a full-on career in filmmaking that has presented opportunities I never would have imagined and expanded my horizons both creatively and as an entrepreneur.
Do I have it all figured out? Absolutely not.
Everyday is full of some degree of questioning and self-doubt. But I put one foot in front of the other and make my way.
I never thought I would have a company, a studio OR my own podcast but they’ve all materialized because I was able to assuage my own fears, if only temporarily.
I’m fairly certain that the mind of most creative entrepreneurs is a minefield of second-guessing so I don’t think I’m special OR the exception here.
Actually, you know what? Here’s the perfect example to summarize all this:
Having children…
It’s the perfect analog to what I’m trying to illustrate here. You will never feel completely ready to be a parent. Take it from me, there’s lots to be insecure about in that arena.
There is never a “perfect” time where life will be ideal and you will never have the mental and emotional space to fully say, “Yes. OK. I’m ready.” But at some point you have to take the plunge and take things as they come.
I did and it’s easily been the most rewarding (if not challenging experience of my life). 😂
To button all this up, Fear, Self-Doubt and Insecurity are real things that have the potential to cripple even the most talented and ambitious among us.
Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith into the unknown, like Indiana Jones from the Lion’s Head in The Last Crusade, because you never know what amazing things may be waiting on the other side of your hangups.
Lean into the uncomfortable - it’s often how you know you’re on the right track
When in doubt, trust your gut. Thanks for reading.
🔥 Hot Takes
- 🎶 “Eve” from the WALL-E Original Score - I used to want nothing more than to compose scores for films. This 1-minute-long piece from Pixar’s WALL-E transports me right back to that film and that time in my life and gives me the same butterflies all over again 🦋
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🎸 Knowing Your Nature - I found this clip randomly on instagram of Jazz Guitarist, Stephane Wrembel talking to a group of students about accepting what is in his nature, what he likes creatively and NOT keeping up with the joneses.
- BONUS - He’s playing a guitar from 1943 that belonged to the brother of Jazz Guitar Legend, Django Reinhardt
- ⏰ Timex E-Line Reissue in Gold - Not that you’re wondering, but I’m a watch nerd with an ever-expanding collection of timepieces. I just purchased this watch not only for it’s “vibe” but for the fact that it reminds me of the Timex watches my Grandfather used to wear. Nostalgia meter FULL ⛽️
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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P.P.S. If something here resonated with you, please reply. I'd love to hear what's on your mind.
