The Writing and Photography Blog of Kevin J Sabo

Today was another busy day.

I met B at ten to film his first weekly devotional, taking over from the pastor who took over from him while he was away on his sabbatical. Aside from a minor technical issue, the filming went well and we got the video done in two takes.

Due to a phone ringing during the second take that was kind of obnoxious in the video, I ended up doing some editing, bringing a thirty second chunk of the first take into the second. I’m not unhappy with how the editing turned out, especially since I haven’t done a lot of that type of editing.

I’m learning how to use iMovie more and more all the time, and though the program is primitive when compared to the Adobe’s Premier Pro editor, but it’s definitely functional for the editing I need to do on a weekly basis, without the extra cost. I’ve already learned a lot doing these weekly videos, and I can definitely see a difference between the first video’s I’ve produced and my most recent work.

The more I get into the world of being a creative, the more I’m loving it. I love that I get to write for my local paper. I’m loving that I have this blog as an outlet. I’m loving that I’m able developing my skills as a photographer and cinematographer. I know I have a long way to go before I reach the levels of some creatives I follow on Youtube, but I feel that with time and investment I can get get myself close.

I never considered myself as being a particularly creative person. I had a good imagination when I was a child, but I was never able to bring what I imagined into fruition, and as I got older the imagination and creativity of my youth went dormant.

Starting to write is what really reawakened my inner creative. Beginning to write had a snowball effect on my life, and nothing I’m doing now would be possible if I hadn’t of taken that initial first step. This blog led me to writing for my local paper. Writing for the paper sparked my interest in photography. Through Youtube, the photography led me down the dual paths of photo-editing and cinematography.

While motivational speakers like Jocko Willink and David Goggins got me pushing myself mentally and physically, Youtube creatives such as Peter McKinnon, Matti Haapoja, and Chris Hau have inspired me creatively. And of course, I can’t forget the mentoring of Greg Johnson, the Tornado Hunter, or of Raelene Schulmeister, a local photographer, both of whom have helped push and inspire me.

It’s crazy to think that if it were not for but one simple act, beginning to write out my feelings and emotions, I would not have taken any of the steps forward that I have. I’m still early into my journey, and the pandemic has definitely thrown a bump into plans, however I’ve been leveraging my time, learning my craft and practising my skills, so when life does start returning somewhat to normal I’ll be ready to hit the ground the running.

When I left the ambulance in 2013 I was adrift. I didn’t know where life was going to take me. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would take me on the route it has. Nathan Drake, of the video game series Uncharted has a saying stamped into a ring he carries around his neck.

“Sic Parvis Magna,” a quote from the fictional hero’s descendent, Sir Francis Drake.

Translated, it means ‘Thus great things from small things.”

That saying resonates with me today. My life has been full of twists and turns, and I wasn’t always sure I would live to see my next birthday. One small thing reignited the fire inside me, and I am grateful for it. It just proves that you never know what small thing you do today is going to have a huge impact on your life tomorrow.

Sorry about the long-winded discussion, and as always, thanks for following along.

Kevin