It’s been a tough couple years and it’s culminating in a tough end of the year stretch as well. I know I probably sound like a broken record with this but layoffs + hiring freeze + two separate (but important) industry strikes does not help the mind (or the wallet). I was just telling a friend that I was making close to 6 figures as a full-time video editor as recently as 2021 but since then I’ve been getting rejection email after rejection email from almost every job that I’ve applied to. Which is just SO good for the self-esteem. I’ve spent a lot of this year questioning my self-worth as a result, which is something that I haven’t dealt with since college. It’s a lot easier to not tie your self-worth to the job that you have when you actually have the job and money in the bank account. But when you don’t have either, you almost can’t help yourself.

So there’s been a general feeling of barely treading water for a good while now. I’m hopeful that the rumors of a ‘September hiring surge’ are true and I’m applying as if it is, but it’s hard to feel positive about that part of my life right now.

Which honestly shapes up to be the classic Hollywood story since next year I will be on camera multiple times next year (one TV show, two short films) that I’m very excited about. There are countless stories of people catching their big breaks while they were broke as all hell, and that’s about the only thing I have to look forward to at the moment.

I will say though, I saw a rough cut of one of the short films yesterday and it looks incredible and I’m very proud to have been a part of it. The other one will be shooting in December and the script and the cast are so good and I truly believe that could be the break I’ve been searching for. Fingers crossed.

But for now, I feel…