Sacrifices

We applied for the Create Here grant and didn't get it. Apparently the "winners" of the grant were more established Chattanooga artists. I suppose I can understand that. If I was giving away a lot of money, I'd want to think I was giving it someone who would use it wisely -- and who else can you trust but people who have already proven themselves as trustworthy and who have already made a name for themselves without your help?

Though, I do also have to admit, I'd be less excited about helping someone who already owned their own studio. I know what they're going to do with the money. I'd like to help some no-name up 'n' comer who needs a boost up. But that's neither here nor there.

We don't have any money and we need equipment. We could continue to beg, borrow, and steal equipment from our wealthier friends, but I'd rather reserve those called-in favors for more dire needs (like for a steadicam sequence or what-have-you).

Hence the title of this blog: Sacrifices. I've known people, and continue to be friends with people, who are big dreamers but not big doers. They talk about all these wonderful things, but don't really seem to ever do anything to actually get themselves closer to accomplishing their dreams. I'm not going to be one of those people.

Step 1 in getting closer to the dream is selling my DVD's and Blu-Rays. I want you to understand what this means. I have upwards of 500 DVD's and Blu-Rays. I haven't counted them in a while, but I was definitely close to that last time I did (I have been downsizing, though, so I'm probably hovering much lower nowadays). This is a finely tuned and sculpted collection I've been working on for that past 10 years. I love movies. I love owning movies. But I'm not going to let my library of movies get in the way of my dreams. I'm taking them into McKay today and selling them. Whatever I make on these movies, I'm putting towards a camera.

It's a sad day. It's a scary day. It's also a thrilling, exciting, I'm about-to-step-off-the-ledge day. So here goes. I hope, like Indiana Jones, there's an invisible bridge to catch me.

UPDATE: I made $583.28 from 196 movies.

UPDATE 2: After reading this blog, an anonymous donor gave me $20, pushing the grand total to 603.28. Thanks, Anonymous!