How Do You Stay Inspired?💡

Today is a departure from the usual career strategy talk, but still applicable to anyone who’s going after a moonshot and is in need of inspiration. I’m joining a community experiment launched by producer Ted Hope to bring together NonDē filmmakers on Substack. You’ve heard of independent filmmaking? This is non-dependent filmmaking and honestly I find that inspiring in itself – to boldly state we are no longer depending on the systems that have kept people on the outside, repressed, and denied.

The idea behind the experiment is simple: each day, a member of the non-de filmmaking community or an ally or advocate shares the works, artists, or moments that are currently inspiring them. I’ve loved reading the previous posts and many of them have inspired me to action - cuz that’s what inspiration is: getting out of our spiraling monkey minds and going after our moonshots.

Before I share my three inspirations as part of part of the #FilmStack Inspiration Challenge, a quick acknowledgement because these kinds of experiments don’t happen without a lot of volunteer work behind the scenes.

Huge thanks to Donny Broussard, Film Le Fou, and Avi Setton for keeping the chain alive and beautifully eclectic.

INSPIRATION #1: Anyone Who Spits in the Face of Uncertainty

There’s a particular kind of biting on tin-foil vibe in filmmaking — that grit and stoicism to make something with no promise it’ll ever see the light of day. You don’t know if your film will get financed, find an audience, or even make it out of post. And yet, you keep going. That’s what I love most: the folks who have the audacity to create with no guarantees.

My friend and client, Utttera Singh, embodies this better than anyone I know. Her feature debut Pinch premiered in narrative competition at Tribeca this year — a dark comedy about sexual assault, shot and set in India, in Hindi with English subtitles. That alone would make most filmmakers flinch. But Utts leaned straight into it. She nails the very tricky tone with ease and full command. Please see this movie when it comes out.

But you don’t have to only work in film to know that feeling. Anyone who’s ever started something from scratch — a business, a book, a new chapter — has faced that same blank space. Where courage gets tested and creativity is born. So yeah, I’m inspired to leap into the unknown by anyone who spits in the face of uncertainty.

INSPIRATION #2: The Mensches Who Share the Damn Playbook

Now, we all know the hard truth that talent, grit, and stoicism alone don’t get a film made. You also need a few good humans who share their playbook instead of guarding it.

Ted Hope is one of those people. I’m not saying that to blow smoke up his ass — I’m saying it because he said yes to a cold email from someone he didn’t know: me. (If you don’t know Ted, he’s a prolific film producer, former head of Amazon movies, and has produced Academy award winning and nominated films like Manchester by the Sea. In other words, he’s fancy pants.)

I’d reached out to see if he’d speak to a group of filmmakers and producers I lead through The Moonshot Collective. He didn’t ask who was attending, what their credits were, or if there was a check attached (there wasn’t — though I made a donation to a charity in his name). He just showed up. Told stories. Made us laugh. Ignited new ideas.

In The Moonshot Collective we’ve had a lot of folks willing to share their playbook which honestly restores my faith in humanity. Everyone from studio folx like Charlotte Koh / Lionsgate, Sarah Shepard / Disney, Elizabeth Grave / Sony and legends like attorney Peter Dekom. Their generosity to the Moonshot Collective is powerful role modeling: access isn’t something you guard, it’s something you extend.

One quick piece of advice to anyone whether you’re in the film industry or not, always always always ask. People do say “yes.”

So yeah, I’m inspired by the best practices, knowledge and experience these mensches are openly and generously sharing.

INSPIRATION #3: Hugging the Bear

This is me as a baby producer. Our lead actor decided to play basketball during lunch and came back completely unfazed that his sweaty, beet-red face would put us behind schedule.

I was livid and wanted everyone to be as mad at the actor as I was. My mentor took one look at me and said, “What’s done is done. You can’t go back. How do you want to solve it?” It was a bitter pill to swallow because I really wanted to let everyone know that the actor was wrong and I was “right”, but I had to make peace with the chaos and keep us moving forward.

Over time, I actually learned to love the hard truths and I’ve even adopted a phrase for it: hugging the bear. It’s the act of wrapping your arms around what scares the hell out of you so it stops running the show. The bear might be a blown deadline, a deal falling apart, a hard conversation, or the reality that the plan’s gone off the rails. Hugging the bear means you stop pretending you’re in control and start adapting in real time.

Every industry has its own version of the bear. The boss who changes direction midstream. The client who ghosts. The project that’s tanking despite your best effort. We all meet that moment when the story we wanted to tell collides with the one we’re actually living.

Hugging the bear inspires me to seek out the truth. And when I know the truth, I can get super creative in solving any problems that the truth reveals .

Bottom Line

Inspiration is a way to refill your resiliency and will-power cup. Inspiration gives you a fresh perspective. Inspiration can be anything that moves you. My wish for you is that you continue to find inspiration in your work, in your life. And please share it - let us know what’s inspiring you in the comments. It could make a real difference to someone who’s feeling stuck.

P.S. For bonus inspiration, be sure to check out FilmStack Daily Digest.

If someone came to mind while you were reading this—please send it their way. You never know the impact a well-timed message can have.

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Journal Prompts

Here are three prompts to help you uncover what’s inspiring you right now and where courage might be calling you next.

* When was the last time you spit in the face of uncertainty? Think about a moment when you acted before you had all the answers. What made you move anyway, and what did that risk reveal about your courage?

* Who’s shared their playbook with you—and who might need a peek at yours? Reflect on the people who’ve offered you wisdom, mentorship, or access. How did their generosity change things for you, and how can you pass it on?

* What’s your version of the bear right now? Name one hard truth you’ve been avoiding. What might open up if, instead of resisting it, you decided to face it and get creative about what comes next?

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