Updated: Aug 30, 2021
"Wanting to be better is different than not feeling like enough."
- Elisabeth Donaldson, Actor, Comedian, Artist
Elisabeth Donaldson is a creator. It's what she does. It's what she was born to do. She's an actor, comedian, art director, stylist, photographer, and an all around creative. When we had her on the MAKE IT podcast she kept it real with us when it comes how she manages relationships to help keep the creative juices flowing. In her world, there's no room for anyone who doesn't allow her to pursue her higher self.
She told us that she would never settle for a relationship with anyone (romantic or otherwise) who distracted her from what she is truly meant to do. Though she wouldn't mind being in a relationship with someone who makes her want to be better, she would never want to be in a relationship where someone made her feel like she wasn't enough. But how do you draw the line between the two?
Well, the desire for self-improvement can be driven from two distinct places. One, from a place of self-acceptance with a desire to become a greater version of yourself and two, from a place of inadequacy with a desire to become someone else's version of who you should be. This place of inadequacy is where Elisabeth refuses to live and I agree with her 100%. So many of us spend so much time and effort trying to be what others want us to be that we lose sight of who we are altogether. Elisabeth herself has found that being an artist is the best way that she can give back to her community. This is because she is giving her best self in everything that she does and her community gets to reap the benefits of her creativity. She flatly refuses to let someone else dim her light and the world is that much better for it.
This perspective is so important for creatives in film and any other industry because success as a creative is dependent upon the unwavering pursuit of your own creative goals. Chasing someone else's vision of who you should be will only help you fulfill their dreams, not yours. Let's face it: being a creative is hard. There's no beaten path, there are no absolutes, and there is no rulebook. But hard doesn't matter when there's passion in your perseverance and dedication to your dreams. The first step is accepting who and what you are and owning your purpose as a creative. From there, you can strive to be a better version of yourself while never feeling like you're not enough.
I have to thank Elisabeth for this wonderful reminder that she shared with our indie filmmaking community. Our creative pursuits are greatly impacted by how we treat ourselves and how we allow others to treat us. It's important that we don't lose sight of that so that we always have the freedom to Be Better, Be Creative, and Be Engaged.
You can check out all of Elisabeth's amazing artistry at https://www.elisabethdonaldsoncreative.com.
And, once again,
Be Better. Be Creative. Be Engaged. (This is the way.)
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About the MAKE IT Podcast The MAKE IT podcast is a platform for the voice of independent filmmaker. We offer a variety of educational, aspirational, and entertaining content that promotes the success of creatives across the filmmaking community and the film industry. Our Filmmaker Conversations with industry professionals are dedicated to sharing the advice, knowledge, and insights of experienced filmmakers while exploring what it truly means to be an independent creative in the highly competitive world of filmmaking. Each filmmaker conversation is backed by thoughtful research that allows us to uncover the raw, authentic truths behind each filmmaker's journey. Through our Indie Talks, we share our thoughts and perspectives on navigating independent film from the perspective of Advisory and Executive Producers. We discuss topics that are relevant to filmmakers across a wide spectrum of filmmaking perspectives, and we do our best to uncover hidden truths and new developments in the film industry. Our goal is to help filmmakers avoid the pitfalls and obstacles on the business side of film so that their filmmaking creativity can thrive. Our Industry Insights provide bite-sized actionable advice that filmmaking professionals and creatives of all kinds can use to keep their heads up as they continue their filmmaking journeys. With advice sourced from the filmmaking community, we build upon the wisdom of our filmmaking guests to provide our audience with truly aspirational and inspirational content. The Mistakes in the Making series gives our filmmaking friends an opportunity to speak directly to our filmmaking audience to share a specific lesson they've learned through a mistake they've made. We are firm believers that mistakes can be the gateway to success when we open our hearts and minds to learning from them, sharing them, and using them to Be Better. The Film Investment series is a conversational series of 52 episodes geared towards the would-be film investor. Each episode, facilitated via a friendly conversation between hosts and friends Christopher Barkley and Jason McConnell, highlights a unique aspect of the film investment process. In addition to being a great resource for film investors, it serves as a reference for filmmakers regarding the many considerations that must be made when seeking film investment.
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About the MAKE IT Podcast The MAKE IT podcast is a platform for the voice of independent filmmaker. We offer a variety of educational, aspirational, and entertaining content that promotes the success of creatives across the filmmaking community and the film industry. Our Filmmaker Conversations with industry professionals are dedicated to sharing the advice, knowledge, and insights of experienced filmmakers while exploring what it truly means to be an independent creative in the highly competitive world of filmmaking. Each filmmaker conversation is backed by thoughtful research that allows us to uncover the raw, authentic truths behind each filmmaker's journey. Through our Indie Talks, we share our thoughts and perspectives on navigating independent film from the perspective of Advisory and Executive Producers. We discuss topics that are relevant to filmmakers across a wide spectrum of filmmaking perspectives, and we do our best to uncover hidden truths and new developments in the film industry. Our goal is to help filmmakers avoid the pitfalls and obstacles on the business side of film so that their filmmaking creativity can thrive. Our Industry Insights provide bite-sized actionable advice that filmmaking professionals and creatives of all kinds can use to keep their heads up as they continue their filmmaking journeys. With advice sourced from the filmmaking community, we build upon the wisdom of our filmmaking guests to provide our audience with truly aspirational and inspirational content. The Mistakes in the Making series gives our filmmaking friends an opportunity to speak directly to our filmmaking audience to share a specific lesson they've learned through a mistake they've made. We are firm believers that mistakes can be the gateway to success when we open our hearts and minds to learning from them, sharing them, and using them to Be Better. The Film Investment series is a conversational series of 52 episodes geared towards the would-be film investor. Each episode, facilitated via a friendly conversation between hosts and friends Christopher Barkley and Jason McConnell, highlights a unique aspect of the film investment process. In addition to being a great resource for film investors, it serves as a reference for filmmakers regarding the many considerations that must be made when seeking film investment.