Anniversary of My Birth
Photo by Frank Tarczynski
Today marks another anniversary of my birth. Another day to reflect on the year that was and prepare for the year that will be.
Today I want to take stock of the year that was and save the post detailing how I plan to tackle the year that will be.
In a year that was complete horseshit, I have much to be thankful for.
On the personal front, I’m thankful for:
My wife and kids have been healthy all year.
My wife and I did not get laid off or lost money because of employment.
We have a roof over our heads and food on the table.
My extended family and friends have all be safe, healthy, and employed. Considering the millions of Americans (and the many more millions of people around the world) who have lost loved ones, lost their jobs, lost their homes, or lost their friends because of the pandemic, I think I’m pretty blessed - and I’m not much of a religious person.
On the professional (writing) front, I’m thankful for:
Writing 2 original pilots.
Writing a spec of ON MY BLOCK (will upload soon).
Submitting applications to the network fellowships.
Taking a class on writing personal essays.
Submitting scripts to 10 competitions.
Placing Quarterfinalists in 2 competitions - Big Break and Screencraft.
Writing 2 monologues for actors I met online who also performed the monologues on Instagram for others to see.
Making friends with a few people because of the monologues.
Writing another monologue for an actor who saw my previous work.
Making friends with another actor who I will be writing scenes for his acting class/workshop.
Publishing articles and shorts stories on Medium - and made a few dollars!
Starting this website - something I’ve always wanted to do!
Joining a writer’s group.
Joining a weekly accountability group.
Became active on Screenwriting Twitter and have made some great connections.
Yeah…wow…after reading the list of accomplishments and things to be thankful for, I’m impressed with myself and what I was able to do. I’m not the kind of person who gloats about my achievements or the projects I’ve completed, but I’m proud of the work I’ve done. And I know this is a fantastic foundation to begin 2021, which I believe will be a huge turning point in my transition from a career in education to a full-time careers as screenwriter and fiction writer.
But…what does this mean?
Here’s my biggest takeway: change takes time. The more we want something, the more we want our circumstances to change, the longer it takes. And no, not time as in calendar, but time as in managing our expectations. Sometimes I want something SO bad I lose all sense of time and want what I want NOW.
But life doesn’t work that way. I have to manage and temper my expectations to match reality. I truly believe that one day I’ll sell a show or run my own show, but that’s not going to happen overnight. And it’s not going to happen after a few people read my scripts. As long as I continue to work on my craft and work towards my goals, then my aspirations will come to fruition.
So what did I learn now that I’m a year older?
For some reason right around October the Serenity prayer popped into my head, specifically the lines:
“God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and
Wisdom to know the difference”
It’s the first line that really stuck out: accept the things I cannot change. I’m finally learning that happiness and fulfillment as a writer, as a creator, MUST be focused on that which I can control: What I write, When I write, How I write, and To Whom I share my writing with.
That’s it. I can’t control if someone loves my work. I can’t control if someone will pay me to writer. I can’t control if my work changes to world or not.
I’m finally learning the first thing we’re all taught when someone seeks a career in the arts: love the process more than the product.
