How I Discovered My Passion For Video

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to musical instruments like a magnet. It really didn’t matter what type of instrument, I liked them all. No, I’m not some musical prodigy, but my fascination with music was so strong that it compelled me to practice each instrument obsessively until something musical came out (my parents loved it). I did this with piano, drums, and guitar, singing along the way. As I got older, I wanted nothing more than to record a couple of songs that I wrote in a real studio, and while I did make it to a studio, an unexpected Apple update locked the audio engineer out of Pro Tools and I was sent home discouraged and disappointed.

Despite this setback I was determined to record some music, and so I invested in a USB digital interface that connected to my laptop and started clicking around. YouTube really wasn’t offering educational content back then and I was just a high school kid with a guitar and a keyboard, so it was going to be the School of Hard Knocks for me. Trial and error. Mostly error. Until one day, I made a complete song with layered and harmonized vocals, multiple guitar tracks, and virtual drums. It was distorted and awkward at best, but to me, it might as well have been a platinum record. This was proof of concept that I was learning, and could one day record my own music well enough to compete with the radio. You be the judge… check out Forever Mine by Shawn Curtis on Spotify or Apple Music and let me know how it turned out.

Why am I telling you all this? As I was growing up, never once did I imagine myself pursuing a career in video production. I’m a musician! A singer-songwriter, not a videographer! But something happened when I was asked to edit videos at work one day. Not only did it give me an escape from the sales job I was bored of, it was a culminating moment where two unsuspecting worlds collided, and my life has never been the same. Let me tell you why…

Creative Freedom

I graduated from Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!) with a degree in Sales and Business Marketing. Not because I wanted to be a salesman, and certainly not because I had any interest in cubicle farms, but because I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and at some point in college I heard a stat that said something like 90% of CEOs started in sales. My dream was to pursue music, remember? But there are very few music degrees that promise good money. I thought maybe, just maybe, if I could learn the art of communication, I could sell my ideas rather than a product, and discover a career path that aligned with my passion while paying enough to support a large family (yes, that was another dream entirely).

Fast-forward to spring of 2019. I had been working in IT sales for an up-and-coming tech firm in West Michigan alongside some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Many I consider best friends to this day. But the job itself was nothing glamorous. Just phone calls, emails, and data center maintenance contracts. Despite the mundane service offering, our marketing was top-notch, and I was captivated by the work of our creative team. There was just one problem. We had a single videographer trying to manage 4 different brands for an explosive company with a closet for a studio, and minimal gear. He was so strapped that there was very little time to come up with new ideas or even edit what had been created. This was my open door. For most of that year I pestered him to let me help until one day he asked me to create a custom music track for a new ad. I’m the music guy, I can do that! I ran back to my desk, pulled up GarageBand on my iPhone X, and composed a cinematic backing track for an ad that went on to receive over half a million views.

Okay, okay, this post is supposed to be about video. After the ad went live, I had proven to our leadership that a sales guy might just be useful as a creative after all, and eventually I was hired on as a video editor to support our time-constrained producer. I learned so much in that role, but the biggest takeaway was the creative freedom I had never experienced before. For the first time in my life, my whole job was to write stories and bring them to life. What started as a plot to sneak in all my original music, turned into this energizing waterful of pure bliss. Every day was a ‘pinch me’ moment, and I began to feel what it was like when work and passion come together.

Living on Purpose

The more time I spent exploring this new passion, the more I began discovering my purpose. Now, as a Christian, I believe our true purpose was defined in Matthew 37 when Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind.” He then goes on to say in chapter 39, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Danny Gokey sums it up nicely in his song, ‘Love God, Love People.’ I also believe each of us has been given unique gifts, talents, and experiences that help us live out our true purpose in each season of life that we’re in. 1 Peter 4:10 tells us that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” This is what I’m referring to when I say that I’ve ‘discovered my purpose.’

So what does this mean? Well, for starters, this was the first time I found myself genuinely going above and beyond at work. I was hired to edit videos, but I became fascinated by the whole storytelling and marketing process. Even on vacation I would be writing down new video ideas. It never felt like work, but rather an outpouring of some hidden well inside me that was constantly bubbling over. There was a fire for this vocation I had never experienced before, and I knew instantly that this would be something to share with the world. Now, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to this company for taking a risk by letting me, a professional salesperson with a degree in sales, edit video with zero experience editing video. But early on I knew that I’d have to leave this company if I was ever going to develop this dream beyond a 9-5 job. It sure didn’t make a whole lot of sense at the time, but life looks different when you’re living on purpose.

Transitional Skill Set

When it finally came time to pursue this dream and part ways with the company I had grown to love, it was suggested that I stay on as a freelance editor (life tip: never burn your bridges). Not only did I discover a passion for video production, but now I was getting my first taste at running a business in the safest environment possible. I learned a new skill at my day job, and suddenly I’m earning a side income with that very same skill set, and the best part was that my first client (my employer) knew me personally, so I was given the grace and benefit of the doubt to make mistakes and improve my craft. 

I’ve since taken on several new video clients across the country, and continue to develop my skills as a video producer and business owner daily. The truth is, you have to start somewhere, but having the faith, support and confidence of my previous employer helped immensely. Amazingly, I have continued to partner with this organization over the years and just today, (yes, as I type this very post!) they published a video I edited for them. Has this made me rich beyond my wildest imagination? Not even close. But that was never the point. I’m in it for the long haul. To share my gift in a way that serves others. To steward well what God has entrusted to me.

If you find yourself in a job you can’t stand and regularly refer to yourself as a square peg in a round hole, I’d encourage you to pray about it if you’re a believer. If not, listen to your heart. Pay attention to what brings you joy and energy and life, then chase after it with everything you’ve got. Will it always be video production for me? I don’t know. But for right now, that seems to be right where I belong.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Life is funny. Big things come in small packages. When you give generously, you often get back even more. And when starting something new, you have no idea if it will work until you take the first step. In my experience, the really good opportunities aren’t handed out to everyone. In fact, they’re not handed out at all, but instead, created by those who have a vision and a burning desire to make that vision a reality. Those who work hard at the seemingly insignificant things, find a reward greater than they could dream possible. Chase your purpose, and keep your eyes open for where your gift perfectly intersects with a need. I initially chose video as an escape from my sales job, but today I see it as a chance to help so many others. To provide education and encouragement, entertainment and perspective. Find what lights you up and create something truly amazing.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24