The Ability to See a Story
On April 15th, I attended my first wedding fair as a videographer in Missoula. I was excited but so anxious to see what would come from something like this, given I had never done it before. Little did I know that I would receive not only a few wedding inquiries but another project that would take me to a different side of filmmaking that I hadn't yet had the pleasure of doing.
The wedding fair began, and I soon made friends with my booth neighbor. He was a blacksmith showcasing a selection of hand crafted belt buckles, singing bowls, and feathers. We got to talking about the fair, what we each do, and what has led us to an event like this showcasing our crafts. We chatted about passion, inspiration, and how the different seasons of life shape us.
My favorite thing about entrepreneurship is hearing what drives others to contribute what they do for the community that they're in. The big ideas we all ponder and dream about in solitude, and do our best to make come to life. Every person's small business has BIG dreams behind it...just something to keep in mind. While we were talking, Zach had mentioned he had always thought it'd be cool to do some sort of video explaining what him and his wife do.
About a month later I was reading a blog post from their website titled, "Finding Purpose". Zach's writing inspired me; I knew that the message was one that I aligned with. It some what reminded me of our conversation at the wedding fair. The line that stuck out to me the most was,
“Whether something grows or not, you are still farming, which also includes trying to grow things. But in the end, you did grow something, dug some dirt and fixed some device you originally thought was unfixable….you have found satisfaction." (Meridian Farm and Forge, Finding Purpose).
This line was metaphorical to me. I interpreted it as a life lesson I have gathered over past couple years. What I got from it was, whether what you were doing was the end goal or not, you were still on your way which includes TRYING. You may look back and think nothing came from it, but then you realize, you were growing something the whole time. You've found satisfaction. Every season of life holds value. The confusing, hard, and frustrating paths in life can often direct you right to where you need to be. Making the good seasons of life that much sweeter.
Not long after reading this blog I sent out an email to them reintroducing the idea of a short documentary film about him, his family, and what they do. I told them I was wanting to lean more into telling stories of those who are living in a way that fosters the passions that they have. They were more than happy to begin the collaboration, and stated that my email had inspired discussion among them. Nothing could have made me happier to hear!
There's often more to everyone and what they do than what meets the eye. There is beauty in taking time to wonder, to listen and to see. Embodying these traits enables me to see life from such a colorful point of view, and having a craft that supports it bring me so much joy. I couldn't wait to see what this project had in store.
June 2nd, I made my first trip up toward St. Ignatius to the farm. I can't say I wasn't a bit nervous. It's not everyday you go up to someones property that you've just met, in hopes of discussing life passions and purpose. After about 45 minutes of driving I finally arrived and was greeted by Gideon, Zach and Danielle's sweet 7 year old boy. Not long after I was joyfully met by the two of them. We got right into a tour of their property. They showed me through the barn filled with sheep, chickens, Zach's blacksmithing space and Danielle's flower work space. We walked through the gardens filled with a range of flowers and fruit, Gideon's homeschooling space, and the yurt on the far side of the property that they rent out. I learned about each space, what its current purpose is, and what their visions for them are as well. While viewing the property, I couldn't help but envision filming everything.
Next, we took a trip inside their home to sit and dive into who they are as individuals and as a family. With mugs filled of tea we discussed their past lines of work and hobbies, how they've changed and how what they do now has been embedded in them through family history. We talked about perspective regarding passion and purpose. I discussed how I was looking for tension or conflict that will bring the plot full circle for the film. Danielle responded saying where she experiences tension in regards to her passions is through the Earth demanding to be tended to, and nurtured. Zach stressed how Danielle has given him the confidence to do, and be anything he wants to freely. He believes that, "you always are who you want to be." Each of these are themes I'm excited to stress through imagery within the film. We each got more more excited throughout the conversation. I could see the passion and dedication of the life that they live excite them, and it excited me that they're inspired by our conversation.
After our conversation, I scout the property once more with the intent to get more inspiration for specific shot types. I left feeling so inspired by people out there that go for it and strive to live in alignment with what their true passions are.
