Embrace the Setbacks

Obstacles are bound to happen, so learn to surmount them.

When I was in my early twenties, my dream was to become a documentary filmmaker.

And so I made a short documentary, which, in hindsight, wasn’t very good. There was no real story, no tension, nobody really to root for. I’d made it with a certain feeling in mind but hadn't managed to translate that emotion through the film.

But, at the time, I hadn’t accepted that yet.

I’d vested so much of myself in making this thing that I didn’t want — or couldn’t face —the degree of its failings.

And so I put it away and didn’t show it to anyone.

The following year, I got onto a program called Visual and Media Anthropology. In essence, it was about how to represent other cultures through film and photography.

And, as part of this course, we participated in hands-on workshops led by professional filmmakers and photographers.

One time, one of these guest lecturers was a documentary filmmaker from my hometown. He had shown us his latest film and it was a creative whirlwind. I looked at him with admiration; he was where I wanted to be.

Over beers at the end of his workshop, we get to chatting and I let slip I'd made this short documentary. He tells me he'll take a look and give me feedback.

And so the next day, whilst we’re busy doing some practical, he goes next door to watch my film. Somehow the fact that I can’t be there to watch it with him makes it worse.

I'm so nervous.

Eventually he pops his head back through the door and signals me over. We sit down, he looks at me and says:

"Well at least you know how to edit."

My heart sinks.

He keeps talking about all the faults with the film but I barely listen. All I can feel is an overwhelming sense of embarrassment, of shame.

How could I have been so stupid? To make it; to show it to him; to think that it was any good?

The truth is, and this pains me to write now, is that this brief encounter killed off any real belief I had in my abilities to make documentaries. I had allowed this obstacle, this challenge, this pain, to kill that part of me.

In hindsight, I don't think that man was trying to be mean.

In fact, he was probably trying to be helpful, to guide me in a better direction. The fact that he didn’t meet me where I was cannot be attributed to anything other than ‘life’.

My reaction was my responsibility.

Unpleasant as they are, these types of setbacks are bound to happen—particularly on a creative path.

You will experience setbacks.

And so I leave you with one final thought:

What’s standing in your way right now? Will you let it block you?

Or will you do everything in your power to move past it?

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