Hello amazing people of Substack.
WE. ARE. BACK.
When it comes to creating art in the form of video, audio, and written word, the past 2 weeks has felt like a roaring lion has been unleashed inside of me.
Since taking Write of Passage this past fall, a burning desire has been ignited inside of me to create more content online.
Before that, the media agency that I had, Dream BIG & Co, was a direct representation of my enjoyment to create content online.
And before that, as I went through my early years of growing up, I privately created because I simply enjoyed creating. During that time, it was mostly through writing.
But now. Ohhhhh…. it feels different now. In a good way.
Building the ZIKI company with my team, brings forth its own feeling of momentum.
Playing sports year after year, when I was younger, brought forth another momentum.
But there is nothing like creating valuable content online that can greatly, positively benefit others. It’s different and unique in its own way.
With that being the case, I didn’t post a weekly essay the last two weeks because I’ve began to Double Up on my video creation online.
I needed the time these past weeks to build out my systems for doing that.
Building intentional content systems has been like the positive gasoline that has further amplified my internal fire for creating. This newfound momentum to create content for others is adding to the splendor and beauty of my days.
Writing this essay is of the utmost Divine timing since I’ll be sharing how writing has changed my life — and subsequently changed how I create in general.
Let’s dive in,
Anthony
Why Do You Create?
On Tuesday, 3/30/21 @ 10:59 PM ET, I wrote this in my journal.
“I love studying humans. I love knowing the journey as to how someone became who they are and why they're currently doing what they're doing. Because the more you ask why, the more you know why.
Why that person is who they are, why they act the way they do because of where they came from, why their current pursuit is their current pursuit…”
“The more you ask why, the more it leads you to an answer, or one that needs to be known by that individual person.”
“And I could tell everyone's story and see so many commonalities, but the one that will never get old is that of Jesus. There's so much so much to tell. Abundant knowledge.”
“And so many people to share with, forever.”
For me it’s all about giving - as the last part stated.
See, if your friend knew how to do something that you didn’t know how to do, and he withheld it from you, that is selfish.
That’s how I feel with posting content online.
I feel selfish to keep knowledge to myself. It’s meant to be shared, debated, and appreciated with others.
When it comes to creating online, just because I interact online with those who follow me, and others that I follow, doesn’t mean I’m not their friend.
The bounds of friendship go far and wide on the interwebs.
Interacting with others online is just the modern, advanced version of having pen pals.
That’s the beauty of creating content online. It can be the positive, mass-production to give and serve others.
How Do You Create?
One habit I’m grateful I’ve adopted since I was young has been reading.
Reading the dictionary is enjoyable for me. Reading thesaurus’s fascinates me too.
Words are the paint God uses for this canvas of Life.
As I progressed through high school, I still remember when my dad gifted me a book called 100 words every high school graduate should know by American Heritage Dictionary. I still have the book in my personal library to this day.
I was that young teenager who read the Bible on the high school football team bus as we headed to an away game.
The more I've absorbed information by way of reading, the more I’ve been inclined to want to write.
Non-form Creates Form (Phase 1 of Creating)
Executing an idea is like excavating for oil. We frack away with our ideas over and over and over.
There is a cycle of constant experimentation.
Then BANG. It hits.
You hit the spot and an outflow of structure arises. A steady flow is created and it feels like it will never end.
Look at the picture below — as it symbolizes me fracking away at my best form.
I’ve been creating different videos for many years.
This series idea.
That series idea.
A few featured films.
Over and over and over.
It led to me eventually finding my form.
As Miles Davis says, “Sometimes you have to be able to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.”
Writing as the Bedrock (Phase 2 of Creating)
from The Dean’s List made a fascinating graph that perfectly encapsulates the creative process.From Idea, to Form, to Voice.
It always starts with an idea.
Just like building the foundation for a house, researching, observations, and reading lays the foundation to the writing that we release to the world.
Then, writing can give way to many other outlets of creation — like videos, visual designs, public speeches, and more.
Making a video starts with knowing the script.
Building a product for a startup starts with knowing the vision (by way of verbal word or written word).
Constructing a house from scratch starts with mapping out the plan and writing instructions for execution.
Designing a logo starts with writing out ideas and brainstorming visuals.
Let’s Make This Visual (Phase 3 of Creating)
"Creativity is a function of the previous work you put in." – Robert Greene
Let’s apply the process of creating to my love of videography and cinematography.
I didn’t truly realize this until 2024: writing directly helps me in creating video content.
Let’s recalibrate for a moment.
We know that creating anything starts with an idea, then writing helps to form that seedling of an idea into a structured entity.
For me, when I’m specifically creating videos, the previous work of ideation and script writing leads me to the production execution.
My friend Max (thanks to a connect from my good friend Baxter) sent me the below graphic. Max is a big-time YouTuber creator and understands video creation at the most-expert level.
His process exemplifies that of Michael Dean’s Idea, to Form, to Voice.
In video-based creations, we start with pre-production. Scripting, testing, experimenting, planning. What equipment is being used? How is the lighting? When and where is the video shoot happening? What’s the story of the video? How do we bring all the elements together to evoke the emotion we are aiming for?
Then comes production. This is when the planning gets executed.
There is a saying when producing to “shoot more than you need, but use less than you have.”
That basically means: overshoot the amount of content you need, but always know that the end result is about finding the purest form of the object. So, ultra-simplification will be needed. That means keeping loads of gigabytes of video in the hard drive.
That leads me to post-production. This part of the process is also akin to writing. Ruthlessly reducing to the simplest form is a MUST.
Post-production requires editing. Editing requires TRIMmingg, TRiming, trimming. Additionally, every detail matters.
It’s similar to finding the correct word to use in an essay. It’s similar to reordering sentences to create a cohesive flow within a piece.
Post-production editing requires a precise attention to detail.
Every ounce of work before the final creative product sees the public’s eye, can be felt once it hits people’s hearts and minds.
People can tell if the creator put in the time for their work — or did not.
Robert Greene’s quote speaks volumes here.
"Creativity is a function of the previous work you put in." – Robert Greene
One and the Same
On top of the cross-pollination that writing gives to video creation, in many ways, they are also one in the same.
The same way I research for my written essays is the same way I research when creating videos.
The same way I write a rough draft script is the same way I write a script for a video I am creating.
The same way I write from conversation is the same way I record from conversation.
The same way I add finish touches to my essay by way of pictures, bolding, italics, adding buttons to Substack, is the same way I add the details to my videos by way of proper color grading, SFX, small visual and audio effects.
The margins of difference that are embedded within the final result are won in the details.
Be Courageous
The more I write, the more I am finding that working on something in public is a courageous act of creativity. 1
You can’t find the potential of your creation by keeping it to yourself.
The art you create benefits others just as much as it benefits you.
And as Rick Rubin once said about creativity, “Art creates a profound connection between the artist and the audience. Through that connection, both can heal.”
Here is my website — you can find more stories, quotes, and deep dives here.
Each comment is helpful feedback for me to become a better writer and also connect with you more - let me know your thoughts on this piece
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So much goodness in here. I kept coming back to the caption under your first pictures: “Writing has been a staple to my life — all my life.”
Thank goodness. You’re a born writer Anthony, and the world needs your words and your unique perspectives. Language is how we inhabit the world and I love seeing the world through your words. 🙏
I don't use Instagram a lot but I've noticed your videos on there and been blown away by the production quality. So much useful information contained in this post on the act of creating. I've saved some graphics and excerpts here for future reference. Thanks for writing, Anthony. Great to see you're back at it!