Any Road Will Take You There
When I started this blog post, I planned to tell the stories of two inspiring young people each on a very different path to find their passion in life and a career in film they love. Of course, like any classic tale of adventure and self-identity, I found myself quickly relating their stories to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
One of many famous lines by Carroll, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” seemed to correlate strongly to the stories each young, art-inspired professional shared about adventuring out to discover who they are and what they want to do with their lives.
Here are 7 lessons from Alice in Wonderland that I found relative to gaining experience and following your passion in the creative industry of film, photography, animation and music.
1. Believe the impossible
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
Don’t limit your dreams by thinking anything is impossible to achieve. Believe in yourself and go after whatever it is you want in your career.
2. Be curious
“Curiouser and curiouser!”
If there is a field or a specific creative department you are interested in, get involved! Learn about it and try to ask as many questions as you can. Leverage industry experts, schools and programs that can help teach you and provide an environment for learning.
3. Always be learning
“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
Welcome life experiences as a chance to always be learning – whether you travel to a new city, enroll in a university, or join a club or professional organization – use every experience to drive your creativity and find new opportunities in your career.
4. Just begin…
“Begin at the beginning.”
Don’t be afraid to start something new. Remember, Steven Spielberg was at one point a beginner. If being an actor is your dream, then start acting!
5. Do more than the minimum
“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”
Go above and beyond the call of duty. To stand out and be better than your competition, you have to push yourself to do more each day.
6. Be you
“I’m mad. You’re mad. We’re all mad here.”
This is simple. Just be yourself. Your life, your skills, your personality, everything that makes you YOU will bring a unique perspective to your creative work.
7. Follow your own path
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
Nobody can tell you how to get where you are going. Many of us at Amazing Studios have very different backgrounds and unique credentials, yet we are all working together today. So start down your own path and find out if it leads you to a career in acting, directing, writing, composing, illustrating, or…you tell us?
If you currently have a career in film, photography, animation or music composition, please share your career path and advice in the comments below and let us know how you got where you are today. If you are seeking a career in the creative world, please feel free to contact us. We’d love to help you find your calling in the creative world of video production, animation or music composition!
At Amazing Studios, we are proud to partner with the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham and Film Connections to help students gain industry experience.
