🤠#019: Getting stuck in other people's work

Very happy to be writing to you today, going to try something different. For this one, we go straight to referencing talented musician Frank Ocean, something I’ve been stuck on for days.

It had been awhile since I listened to this record. Heard it at a coffee shop Tuesday. Played it a hundred times since then.

What does this line even mean, to live inside an idea from another man’s mind? 

I turned it over in my mind for days.

Maybe we can link it back to being a creative person, somebody who makes something out of nothing in 2025.

When you make creative work, you probably keep an eye on other creative people. This is, in many cases, super constructive, but perhaps only in moderation.

It’s so easy to get absorbed in other people, especially given the power of the social platforms in our pocket, and how that reflects on you, yourself - the way you present yourself to the world, the creative work you do, etc.

I find Instagram to be one of the most powerful, and dangerous, double-edged swords in my life.

✅Good: Incredible tool for creative expression and connection. True. Has made amazing things happen for me. It could very well change my life someday.

❌Bad: Infinite carnival mirror funhouse to remind you that somebody else is more creative, better looking, and working harder than you. True. Has hurt my feelings a thousand times.

How do we rack these two things up?

Shoot, I don’t know. But, one idea I’m toying with: 

If you find somebody who inspires you - their work, their approach, how they show up on camera, whatever it is, that is a beautiful thing. Harness it, riff off it, make it your own. No idea’s fully original.

But you are your own person, one of one. There’ll never be another you. It’s pretty magical you’re here. As limited edition as it gets.

So if you’re in your own head, thinking about who you want to show up as in the world, how you’re not good enough, how you wish you were more ________, you might consider:

Are you living in an idea from another man’s mind?

If so: Do you have to keep living there? Could you get out?

If you identify with this, feel this in your own life, whatever - feel free to reply to this email. I want to hear from you.

📊PART TWO: TRACKING MY PROGRESS

📡 Fig. 1: Captain’s Log

Some quick hit thoughts:

January was an awesome month for short form. I had fun getting back into Cut30 again with some of my friends from last summer, had a couple videos really hit which was fun to see, and I started testing a few new things, some of which worked, lots of which didn’t. Pretty fun to see that we’re less than 40 days in and I’ve already put up 29 videos this year. That pace is probably running a bit hotter than I’ll average in 2025, but it’s nice to have come out of the gates quickly.

Depleting the backlog + filling it back up: One weekend back in December on a couple days off, I think I shot maybe 15 short form videos, and then just steadily edited over the next week or so. I had never done that much at once, but it was really nice to have a lot of options in the barrel. It. I haven’t shot many over the last couple of weeks, so the aforementioned barrel is mostly empty. This year, I’d like to get in a more steady rhythm, having a few videos ready to roll at all times, having a few more that are shot but being edited, and then just consistently replenishing that supply, so there’s always something available to put out there.

Bookings are coming in at an accelerated rate. I’ve gotten more inquiries in the last 60 days than I had in the prior two years. I don’t know if it’s just coincidental, but to me I think it may be yet another indicator of the power of short form. So I’m absolutely spending my nights and weekends in the batcave working on it all. Fun work, hard work, gratifying work.

 February is set to be very busy as a result. I’ll be shooting a couple of projects in Arizona and Tennessee, will try to document along the way for tutorials.

 Very grateful for it all. I feel quite different than I did this time last year, in a good way.

📸 Fig. 2: this week’s stills

🎬 fig. 3: this week’s videos & some learnings

2025 #27: Building a PNW Team IG2025 #28: Lighting Tutorial #21 IG2025 #29: “Can we use the flash?” IG

Let’s break down two of these, I want to share some things I learned:

On this little “let’s use the flash” video: I’m trying to test some formats that don’t require a ton of green screen, edits, etc. I’ve seen formats similar to this work really well before for other people.

The numbers are weird on this one. It’s steadily growing and might even hit 10K. Now, granted, it’s not even ten seconds long, so you’re going to get quite a bit of replays in there. But minimal engagement, nobody choosing to follow, etc.

So is it having an impact? My prelim guess is that these “vibes” style videos A) need further refinement before I fully call it and B) may just get different reactions than something like a tutorial.

Maybe the way to think about these things is that they’re cotton candy. If done right, they can be fun, they can be a change of pace, but you don’t want to base your whole diet around it.

On this lighting tutorial: I continue to get feedback in class my videos may need to be tightened up. So for this, I tried to hit my most popular format (lighting tutorials) and pack as much as I possibly could into 15 seconds vs. my normal 30-45.

It felt like a breath of fresh air. All killer, no filler. Having that constraint was weirdly freeing. It may not be as informative, but I’m going to keep tinkering with this. Easier to edit, too.

📈fig. 5: audience growth

Instagram: 13,385 followers, +272 (+2%) vs. last weekTikTok: 1353 followers, +23 (+2%) vs. last weekNewsletter: 1361 subscribers, +48 (+4%) vs. last week

Check out these charts I made, sort of cool, right? Started tracking this data in September 2024 and I’m recording it each week.

Think I could help you 1:1 with your portfolio, lighting, short form, creative strategy, building mood boards, just being a sounding board? I’ve started taking a couple 1:1 calls here and there, so far they’re going great. Here’s a link if you’re interested.

📍Free mood board #11, tracky bottoms: LINK🆓Five free Lightroom presets: LINK🛠️All the cameras + flashes I use: LINK

Everybody have a good weekend,

Garrett