Jet’s Journal - #116
January 13, 2025
Hi All!
Here is your weekly round up of what I’m pondering and exploring. Feel free to forward along to a friend if you think they might enjoy.
Tropfest
Last week Max and I shot a short film for Tropfest.
We came up with the idea four days before submissions closed, shot and acted in it the next day, and continued editing right up until the deadline.
The turn around was brutal but we found the added pressure and time constraint to help birth even more creativity in the film.
We have zero idea how our TROPFEST_SUBMISSION.MP4 will go and if the judges will like it, but nonetheless it was such a fun and rewarding experience.
I also realised, technically, this was both Max and I’s first ever short film. Wow.
It’s kind of crazy we’re only a week and a bit into the year and we’ve already finished a short film. Very thankful.
Hopefully you will get to see it when it premiers.
Book sales
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the new people discovering and purchasing my book. Hearing directly from you about all your experiences and the different parts you resonated with really solidifies why I write in the first place. What an honor and privilege to have people sit with my words for a few hours.
Learn to listen
Think about that thing you’re so passionate about you could spend hours talking on.
Got it?
Good, now realise everyone around you also has something like that.
It’s probably in your best interest to find out what these interests are in the people around you and learn to ask questions.
This is how I’ve fast-tracked my learning about different cultures, music production, filmmaking, design, fashion, food, religion, fitness, finance, health, and many more topics—all by simply having an interest in what people are passionate about.
The wealth of accumulated knowledge right in front of each of us continues to blow my mind. You just have to stop waiting for your turn to speak and learn to listen to those who would love share with you.
Take a step back
As mentioned in previous newsletters, over the course of the past twelve months I’ve really been falling in-love with taking photos here in Sydney again.
This was an activity I used to love doing until I began to get bored with the same places and faces—which ultimately led to me feeling the need to get out and travel.
Paradoxically, by getting out of my environment and being in a foreign one, I was able to look back and see it for what it really was. This is exactly why whenever I get home from being abroad I weirdly have an even deeper appreciation for those same places and faces.
This made me realise having anything for an extended period of time can make us forget about how lucky we are. The closeness blinds us to the bigger picture and makes it easy for our blessing to be considered the norm.
However, once you do return from taking that step back, it’s like you have an entirely new view, appreciation, and understanding of whatever was right in front of you the whole time.
Take a step back every now and again.
Hope everyone enjoys their week.
Love,
Jet Williams