Roots

I have been seriously considering moving back to the Midwest. I miss the culture, the people, the food, the accent, and the slower pace of life. And being closer to home would be wonderful. I was looking into Chicago or Indy or Detroit, which are all either big cultural and arts centers or a blooming film industry. And they all happen to be within 3-4 hours from my parents house. Random drives home for the weekend? You bet! Also, spending a few months at home while I looked into production would give me a chance to become a little more stable financially, and let me build up some savings. 

I realized the reason I wasn't doing so well finding production work here was because I had been dragging my feet. I realized I wasn't committed to being here, but I wasn't sure about going home either. (Fyi, being in limbo strains you financially, personally, professionally, and even stunts you spiritually.)

Chicago. It's a gorgeous city, it's huge in the arts, it's 3 hours from my house, they have better production companies and opportunities, and I have a couple of contacts there. Not filmmaking contacts, but friends. And my cousin has lived there for 4+ years and I'm sure would have lots of advice about where to live, where to avoid, etc. 

What am I doing here in Virginia Beach? I'm not particularly fond of the area. I have good friends here who would be bummed if I moved, but most of them would get over it. There are one or two who would be crushed, but even they would be fine. 

I started praying about it. I called my Dad. And I weighed the pros and cons.

Pros to going: I would love to be home/closer to home. I would have a (non-filmmaking) job right away, meaning financial stability. The Midwest is awesome. The possibility of living and working in Chicago is also awesome and suits me better than living here. If I'm going to make corporate videos, I'd rather do it in Chicago than here.

Cons to going: I have no filmmaking contacts in Chicago, and making those contacts would require a TON of hard legwork (gas money and time). It would take months. I have no solid body of work to show potential contacts as of yet. 

Pros to staying in VA Beach: I have a network of filmmaking contacts here. I love my church. I have good friends here. Regent is close by, and cool people come through there all the time. You never know who you might meet. I have a solid (part-time) job and can freelance on the side. I have an opportunity to make some corporate videos this fall that might eventually give me enough work to make filmmaking my full-time job so I only have to work at Cafe Moka on the side, instead of the other way around. 

Cons to staying in VA Beach: I'm not a fan of the area. I miss the Midwest. 

Conclusion: going home (and working at home) would help me be more financially stable now, but would probably hurt me in the future. Therefore, if I'm determined to work in the video production industry, moving right now would be borderline stupid. 

So...I'm officially staying for a year or two. I'm going to work hard and establish myself here, build a solid body of work, and use my current contacts to their full potential. My parents and I set up a tentative budget for me and made a list of things I need to do (like get an LLC, etc.) I made business cards and ordered them the other day. Here's a screenshot of the front and back: 

(It's a vertical style. Being artsy is highly encouraged in our field ;-)

It's amazing how making a commitment and having a plan changes your perspective. I now have a vision to work toward. Mini-opportunities are starting to pop up here and there, and I'm putting myself in a position to take advantage of them. 

I still miss the Midwest, but I have a peace about being here for now. I'll move back eventually, but it's just not time yet. Not yet. God knows where I need to be and what I need to be doing. I have a gut feeling that when it's time to relocate, the way will be clear and the opportunity will make sense. Until then, here I am!