Reaching a point of Contradiction.
So we’ve said we’re filmmakers pursuing what it looks like to live minimally in an excess-driven culture and discovering the self-realization that such a pursuit brings. I need to say that I’m not first and foremost a filmmaker, yes I’m an artist, but what really drives me is being an active member of my community and embracing and engaging in the lives of those around me. As of late, this project itself has been the one thing that is preventing me from doing just that.
It’s kept me from spending time with my friends, kept me from helping a friend work on his bike, kept me from knowing what’s going on in the lives of my housemates, kept me from reaching out to those that have reached out to me through this project, kept me from enjoying the sun and trees as I bike to class, kept me from my love for playing music, kept me from being present with those I’m with, and ultimately kept me from actively living.
Yes we are producing a documentary, and yes we have a deadline, and yes it takes discipline to succeed in this line of work; but isn’t what we’re fighting for more important than telling others about what we’re fighting for? Why is it that the one thing I’m most excited about right now is keeping me from actually doing what it is I’m excited about? I don’t want to say no to my friends. I don’t want to flake out on offering my assistance to those in need. I don’t want to be sending emails and texts to the production crew and miss out on the relationships I’m surrounded by.
I want to live and be present with those around me and not be always preoccupied with this documentary, a mere film.
We’ve met so many great people through this project and I hate that we’ve only been able to get glimpses into their lives. I hate that we drive up to a house, film an interview and then leave, without hardly having time to talk to each other off camera. That’s so contradictory to everything we’re supposedly fighting for.
As we speak about living with less and finding what we’re passionate about, people have been so encouraging to us. And it’s these people that I want to get to know more. I want to take part in Brendan’s Shitakke Socials. I want to hang out at James’ bike shop. I want to live in intentional community. I want to work on a farm. I want to simply go for walks in the woods and talk with my friends.
So why is it I’m isolating myself over this documentary? When can I stop worrying about all this production and actually thrive with less? In the words of my new friend Brendan: “it’s all happening,” and I feel like I’m missing out on it.
Frustrating as it’s been, I does feel great to know that I’ve been able to work with and meet so many wonderful people throughout this journey. I’m just looking forward to really being able to enjoy those relationships more.
We’re reaching the end of this film, and I hope you’re as excited to get there as I am. And more importantly, I can’t wait to see where this film will take me once it’s completed :)
![Thrive With Less takes to the road again.
This past weekend, Matt and I were back on Butler University’s campus for some interviews. Yeah, it’s pretty crazy we’re still filming at this point in the editing process, but we had two contacts at Butler that we really wanted to talk with about our project and the themes our documentary is touching on.
Talking with these two professors brought a unique insight into what we’ve been talking about amongst ourselves over the past four months. Where our conversations and the previous interviews have been primarily based on experiential knowledge and personal growth, Mark and Ali brought a much more scholarly point of view to the discussion.
With Ali, we discussed Affective Forecasting and Attention Restoration Theory, both of which I’ll admit I knew next to nothing about going into the interview. [Check out the wiki links to get a rough overview :) ] The whole concept of attention restoration really intrigues me. It’s been proven that we have a limited quantity of attention we can commit to task work and we tend to deplete that source more often than we replenish it. It’s been proven that simply getting outside and reconnecting with nature is one of the best ways to restore this “attention store.” This goes hand in hand with what we’ve talked about as a group recently. At one of our dinners Mo spoke about her love of the outdoors and simply taking walks in the woods, yet many of the people around her and our society have pushed these simple activities out of the focus. What would it look like if we all took time to simply enjoy the simple moment of a sunrise, or birds chirping or watching all the woodland creatures scurry to and fro? :) But really, do you actively set aside time to stop working and just enjoy nature?
With Mark, the big takeaway for me was his comments that the level to which one can pursue minimalism is dictated by one’s life stage, regional location, and most important priorities. Up until a few weeks ago, Mark had never sent a text message, but with two kids, it was decided to get a family cell phone. And while he would prefer to always bike to work, it’s sometimes necessary to drive so that he can get home to have lunch with his family before getting back to teaching on campus. Mark has set where his priorities are and family comes before pursuing sustainability in his actions to the utmost. That’s so great to see.
In relation to Thrive With Less, yes we’ve set out 6 challenges for ourselves and have challenged others to join in with us, but these 6 goals are not the end all in pursuing moderation. It’s much more important to see where your priorities lie and base your pursuit of moderation off of those. And I always tell people a small step towards minimalism is still a step, and that’s all we can ask.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m40uvacpxb1rnm96so1_1280.png)
