It's okay to make mistakes
Greetings
This newsletter has become fortnightly really because of time. Time is something that I am constantly trying to manage better between being a father, a partner, a writer, a podcaster, and trying to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. Things end up ebbing and flowing and I am learning that it’s alright. Life happens and, as long as I feel that I am moving forward, it’s okay.
I will get back to weekly, eventually. I would also appreciate thoughts on what you would like to see more of. I will experiment with longer ‘posts’ in future, in between the curated newsletter, with thoughts on a variety of topics, perhaps even sharing full posts from my blog and other places I have written for. Yay or nay?
1.
It is frightening, especially as a freelancer, to see how much we have normalised waiting for 30 days to get paid. It is also encouraging when you get a client who pays you within a couple of days of invoicing. I try to do the same with people I have to pay.
2.
“Once something hits your mind and your head as a visual image, or any creative idea, you should be able to just create, to let those ideas out right away. That’s why I only take a short amount of time. I’m not afraid of making mistakes. When I’m making a movie, I’m not trying to make something that is 100 percent convincing. I’d rather try to make movies one after another, without being afraid of mistakes or anything like that. Because, number one, that gives me more motivation for the next film — to keep shooting, keep filming, to take the next step. Also, at the end of the day, whether something is a failure or not, it’s not my decision. I can’t really tell. It’s other people — the audience — that will tell me if it’s great or not great. Since I can’t judge it that way, I’d rather just keep filming.”
Sion Sono on Prisoners of the Ghostland and the Very Special Way Nicolas Cage Says ‘Testicle’
3.
I have friends who make good money out of doing voice overs. I tried a few times but it isn’t for me, although I did enjoy doing more narration for longer corporate videos. The one thing I wasn’t aware of is ‘looping’ and the politics of it.
“The Mafia of the Acting World”: Hollywood’s Secret Loop Groups
4.
Motorcycles and cigars are two things I enjoy. The people over at Wanted magazine were nice enough to allow me the space to talk about these with a monthly column on each.
My last two columns were:
Motorcycles: To Join Or Not To Join
Cigars: Finding The Perfect Cigar Spot
5.
“In Mexico, a country hooked on football, one might have expected its rural communities to be the same, but among the Mixe people it’s hoop dreams that reign supreme.”
Basketball is an important there as religion.
6.
My first ever book festival. The Gaborone Book Festival invited me to share thoughts on fatherhood, drawn from my book Listen To Your Footsteps. The video is available on their Facebook page here.
7
I recently watched Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Such a dope film that further reinforces the fact that, with greater diversity, there is less caricature and stereotyping.
Hong Kong Legend Tony Leung Tries His Hand at Hollywood reinforces this importance of people telling their own stories.
That’s it for this week. You like and are not subscribed? Please subscribe.
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Easy, Kojo