The journey to becoming a director is a long one. A winding path with uneven ground. It stretches off into the distance. It can be daunting to even consider undertaking such a quest. Often seen as the first true roadblock of this journey is: the lull.
That First Step
As with any journey, the life of a director starts with that first step. A step that has been years in the making. Watching visuals and dreaming of creating your own. At first, it seems insurmountable to even take that first step — stuck in your daily life, far from your dream. Is the first step beyond you? Are dreams meant for others, but not you? Are you no different to other audience members who also think about stories they would tell? Is there a sign you need to see first, before you undertake such a step? A calling. The trepidation of the first step has put many off — the years of sacrifices it would take afterwards. However, with all of these thoughts swirling around inside your head, you take a deep breath and make that first step. The journey begins.
Once the first step has been made, another soon follows. You feel you are on a creative journey – one that you have longed for. You wonder why you ever worried about making that first step. This feels right. This feels like it is what you are meant to do with your life Once those early steps have been made, you are walking towards your dream — you only look forward.
As the years go by, that first step becomes ever more distant. A memory. At the time it seemed such a huge moment. Since then, it might very well be one of several huge moments along your creative journey. An inevitable surge towards a dream.
Period of Stagnation
Then, more years pass by. You look around and wonder why the progress is not happening at the speed you dreamed of. You gaze at news feeds and social media, wondering how the careers of some directors are always moving forward, while yours stagnates. What is it that is working for them that in turn has put the brakes on for you? Is it talent based? Are you not good enough? Are you not working hard enough? Are you going about all of this with the wrong approach? Are your projects not interesting enough? Will audiences miss you if you quit? Is time now against you?
This lull can be challenging, especially in relation to mental health. It can feel like a pit to climb out of. A false warning that you have gone as far as you can with the dream. This is not the case. But the lull can play tricks on your mind.
Shared Doubts
Creativity takes years of practice before you truly start to sing. That is all this phase is.
Many music bands played small venues and were creating passable songs, before the classics started to pour out. The same applies to the directors you admire. They were just as disconnected from the industry as you are. They were sitting there watching other directors surge by into the spotlight. They were also trapped in ‘the lull’ with their dream fading.
Use the Lull in Your Favour
This creative doubt on your journey is more common among your peers than you know. You are not alone in that thinking. Your situation is the norm, not the exception. That feeling is shared by directors all over the world. It was even shared by the very same directors you can see moving forward. It is just a stage of the creative journey that will pop into your path at various times in your career. It is not a reflection of you. It is just a temporary stage.
A dream is not a straight path. It is filled with lull phases. Rather than look at them in a negative light, us them as opportunities to network more to keep the buzz of creativity burning inside you. Use the lull in your favour. It is an opportunity to take stock in the projects on the horizon and then deciding which ones will lift you out of the lull.
The one thing you always have to focus is on is the dream. You are a million steps ahead of where you first started. Take pride in that and use it as the fuel to keep going.