Master Your Craft: Lessons Learned from a Loser

Becoming an masterful artist isn’t always fun, sometimes it can be downright boring.

If you’re reading this blog then you’re probably a creative person in the film/video industry, and rightfully so, a life filled with creativity is fun and fulfilling, or at least that’s what we’re told. Even if you’re in the industry you always wanted to be, it may be far from what you imagined. Creative work can sometimes feel difficult, frustrating or (even worse) pointless.

Even the happiest people have all gone through difficult creative seasons. Initially it seems like the best way to get out of these difficult seasons is to do something different ASAP. If you’re in a job rut this may mean you go looking for another position, even if it doesn’t pay well. If you’re just creatively hindered this might be changing your lifestyle until you feel more creative.

However, running away from difficult situations isn’t usually good for you as an artist, or you as a person. The following video series takes a fascinating look at Leonardo DaVinci and shows us how rough seasons in life can actually make us better artists:

In the words of American writer Gertrude Stein “It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much, doing nothing, really doing nothing.” In your quest to become a great filmmaker, designer or video editor, don’t be discouraged when things get difficult. After years of mundane projects, DaVinci didn’t get his first big break until he was 46 (with the painting of the Sistine Chapel)….and all the unsuccessful and mundane projects he completed up to that point prepared him for his first big success.

If you want to develop your skills daily and learn more about becoming a better filmmaker check out the PremiumBeat blog where we cover every aspect of the filmmaking process, get inspired with some of the best showreels and demo reels, but most importantly don’t stop making films!

This video series was first shared by Delve on their Vimeo channel. Thanks for sharing!

What did you think of the video series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.