What Can We Learn from Our Past Selves? A Filmmaker Has a Conversation with Himself

Many have probably seen this video of Jeremiah McDonald talking to himself from 20 years ago. Great timing and editing help make this video work, but there is a greater message within the witty comebacks. As human beings, we are all creative in one way or another, but making a career out of creativity is often very difficult. Many continue their true passions on the side, but all too often life can get in the way of what we really want to be doing in our lives. If you haven't seen it, make sure to watch it all the way through.

Jeremiah McDonald talking to his child self:

Here is an interview with Jeremiah:

Some of us have real passions when we are younger that we might lose along the way to adulthood, and Jeremiah is trying to find that passion again after all of those years. He has created a website, in part to get himself back into what he really loved when he was younger. Here is a little bit about that:

Drawing was my first love until the internet starting eating up my time in the mid 90s. Now I'm trying to reconnect with my first love by way of the thing that killed it. Send an email to tellmetodrawsomething@gmail.com and tell me to draw something. I'll post the drawing here, and if you want the original I'll mail it to you for the cost of shipping and handling (plus anything you care to donate). I'm curious to see what happens.

This site focuses mostly on independent film because the availability of technology has made it easier for anyone to pick up a camera and shoot something that they feel passionate about. A great question we can ask ourselves as creatives is, are we really doing what we want to be doing right now in our lives? Either way, finding the time and the energy to pursue true passions is one of the great struggles of independent creatives. Jeremiah has learned a bit from his past self, but what can we learn from our past selves?

Links: Jeremiah McDonald: Twitter - Vimeo - YouTube - Blog