Snow is dumping outside while I write this post. Today I listened to a really interesting podcast episode (shared by a colleague!) about the future of the creative industry, and society in general. It’s from the “Invest Like the Best” podcast with Patrick O'Shaughnessy. In this particular episode he’s chatting with Scott Belsky, co-founder and CEO of Behance. Belsky was also an early stage angel investor in companies like Pinterest and Uber, and he has a lot of interesting perspectives on the future when it comes to creative success.

One of my favorite takeaways is that we can no longer rely on software skills alone. Kids are being taught Adobe programs in school to enhance their history reports, and they will enter the workforce with these tools as supplementary, not primary, skills. According to Belsky, “There's the next generation of creativity that we need to enable, and it sounds cheesy, but for the future of humanity, we kind of have to train people up to do stuff that's different and differentiating than computers.”

So how do we keep standing out and apart from the masses, from computers, from each other? It’s going to take a lot of innovation and perseverance. But with the world gunning to come out of covid in the next year or so, creatives may be perfectly poised to take advantage of the surge that is sure to follow.

Listen to the full episode here!

https://www.joincolossus.com/episodes/67001654/belsky-focus-on-the-first-mile

Taken one evening in Vermont. Has nothing to do with this post, but it’s calming and pretty to look at :)

Tik Tok and other social media platforms, vlogs, user generated content and cheap equipment have all paved the way for commercial and film productions to be less and less about high production value, while putting more emphasis instead on real stories from real people. That’s a great thing! But where does it leave industry professionals who have been working in these fields for 10+ years? 20 years? 30 or more? It’s always been a tough industry, and the world isn’t letting up anytime soon. It has certainly made me rethink my approach to my work, my online presence, my personal marketing, even my overall approach to life.

Anyway, enough philosophizing. The reality is we all have to work harder to stand out and make a living at this. I recently lost a project to another female video editor because she could also double as a cinematographer / DP on the shoot. Time to revisit the skill set! I’ve jumped on the bandwagon and am having a great time playing with the Sony A7R3. I’ve been using it mostly with a 35mm lens and love the look and depth of field. I do have my eye on a telephoto lens next - really itching to get more action shots in my portfolio, and hopefully some sporty video edits too. Mostly I’m glad to be pushing myself to try something new. See y’all out there!

I believe in lifelong learning. There is so much to absorb about our beautiful world in these short lives, but things like work and responsibilities often take priority. This year I’m focusing on improving my camera and writing skills so that I can be a better and more intentional storyteller. For this pic, I rented gear from a local camera shop and headed north. Most of the day was grey and brown, but I caught a few moments of sunshine just before heading home.

I’m a female video editor in the world of commercial advertising and it can get pretty crazy! Video editing is an interesting art, especially in today’s world where everyone can edit on their phone. Competition is steep and it’s harder and harder to stand out, but that’s where the real creativity and prowess kicks in. Plenty to unpack there, but for now here’s a picture of me taking in some mountain-top views - one of the most important ways I choose to clear my head, exercise and recenter.