How long is too long to follow your dream?

I watched the trailer for Goodbye Promise last night again, donated to their indiegogo campaign today, (can't wait to watch the documentary!) and it got me to thinkin':

How long is too long to follow a dream?

Is there such a thing as putting a time limit on it?

I'm a person of faith. By that, I mean if you don't have faith in yourself to be the person you want to be, who do you have faith in? Will someone do it for you? It's easy to mentally go to your spiritual provider in times of need, but what happens when that provider doesn't supply you with the financial backing to get your project made?

What happens when you have a dream that takes loads of money, but you're born (financially) under-privileged? How do you rise above the self-stabbing messages that tell you that you can't get there from here? Been there, done that.

Let's talk.

I've never been the best in show, best in class or best in sass, but I've often said that I want it more. Do I want it more than you? I don't know. You're the only one who can answer that, but I do know that I want it more than the people who give up when they have every right to want to.

The entertainment business is tough. Duh. Especially if you're outside of HW, trying to put your foot in the door without falling into the pit. And if you live there, I imagine (from my experience with friends/peers/visiting there) it's like living in a clouded bubble, if you're in this biz. Hard to see out. Hard to see in. Any takers? :)

I've read comments on different social media outlets from newer aspiring filmmakers, expressing a frustration in other indie filmmaker's depressing comments. I think I can appropriately write, "LOL" for us all here. :)

So how do you stay grounded and focused in a world that has so much fog and disappointment? How do you remain optimistic? Should giving up be an option?

My thoughts and advice would be to keep working and producing quality, relevant material, that feeds your soul, without as many expectations. If you're doing it to be famous, or to serve your ego, you might be involved in a mudslide.

Most of us do it for the art and love of acting, filmmaking, producing, photography, telling stories, and directing, right? Why does that need to change if someone decides not to give us their money to help fund us? Why does that need to change if others can't see our potential?

It doesn't. Use it as fuel to get you to the next light.

So how do we survive and maintain a pervasive attitude in an entertainment-world that too often doesn't send a paycheck to it's employees?

We keep writing. We keep telling stories. We keep dreaming. We keep producing. We keep living. Find another talent or passion that provides us with the financial freedom to do other things we love, such as filmmaking. And don't freaking worry about what other people think. Get that crap talk out of your brain!!!! Who gives a shit about Sally (I luv u Sal) who thinks you're wasting your time.

I know what you're thinking - how can one do that when it costs so much money and time to make movies? I'm here to say - you'll find a way. That's how love and determination works.

There are no guarantees in life. There is no "fairness." But there is a way to healthily vent, and express the highs and lows of this grand canyon they call life. It's called art. Art is free, if it's truly yours to begin with. No one can put a price tag on that.

Keep dreaming on, my love bugs!
Jentri

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