Last weekend, my good friend Drew released a trailer for his upcoming web series, DIVINITY. As a good friend, and as someone who desperately wants to see the overall quality of independently produced web series improve , I shared the trailer with many people, anyone who would listen, really. I threw it on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, around the office, to friends and family, and some random (and very confused) strangers.

There was almost an overwhelming sense of amazement that essentially one person could produce what was seen in the trailer, from writing the script, to gathering the actors, to finding the sets and producing the effects. On the higher note, it inspired people, who said, "Wow, I want to do something like that!", which is what I think Drew was going for in the first place.

Some, but not many viewers, on the other hand, said things like, "Wow, he must have a lot of time on his hands.", or "Well, he doesn't have a full time job... that's why he's able to do this..." or "Once he gets older, he'll have no time or energy for something like this,". Hearing people say things like that really bothered me, and it wasn't until this morning that I pinned down exactly why. Many people have issue with the fact that they haven't created something comparable, and must need some kind of quantifier to explain why.

"If he had a real job like me, he wouldn't have time to play around on After Effects."

"If he had a family like me, he wouldn't have the energy to try something this new and time consuming"

I hear these things, and it makes me sad. It's almost as if people are trying to justify the reasons they haven't done something similar, or even attempted something similar. "I'm too busy.. ", "I have more important things...", "I'm too grown up for this...". To that, I ask the following:

What about the visual effects artists who work on major Hollywood movies? The model maker who make miniatures for your favorite movie? What about those who work on smaller films? What about those who independently create web-series or short films, who juggle a full time job, a family, a mortgage? How do you reconcile those who don't have the free time, do have other responsibilities, yet continue to have the drive to bring into reality the art that they see in their mind? Artists create because they have to create. Musicians compose because it's what they're compelled to do. It's what they share with the world, and it's not as much because they have some minor desire to seek fleeting fame, but rather because they need to tell their story, sing their song or show their vision.

And they do it, no matter their age, their daytime job, if they have a family or not.
Stop making excuses.
Go out and make something.

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Quantiftying One's Passions