I’ve done this once a year, every year, for the last 4 years, and your responses have always been enthusiastic, so I figured, why not continue? Especially with the site’s readership continuing to evolve, just as I’d expect of your individual lives as creatives on the move.

I know that a decent number of you are in the business (whether just getting started, or are seasoned veterans, or somewhere else) – actors, actresses, directors, DPs, editors, writers, producers etc, etc, etc. Some have made it to the point at which they are able to earn a living utilizing their artistic and/or technical skills; others – and I’d say the majority – are what we’ve labeled the proverbial *starving artists*, working diligently, relentlessly, struggling to climb an incredibly steep hill, trying to reach some self-defined pinnacle of success – whether personal or professional. And still others exist somewhere between the former and the latter.

Where do you fall? As the title of this post states, what’s YOUR story? And would you like to share it with the rest of us?

Think of it as an extension of the successful S&A Filmmaker Diary series we launched about 4 years ago, with Matthew Cherry as the guinea pig. I’m looking for your individual stories of struggle and/or success, regardless of what rung on the ladder you are currently on. In addition to delivering industry news, reviews of films, interviews with talent, this site (and its various social media extensions) has also always aimed to function as a community of sorts – a space (although not always entirely *safe*) for artists to share, engage, teach, learn, grow, commiserate, gain some exposure, and more. And this “What’s Your Story?” feature is one example of that specific effort.

It takes a certain amount of courage to be able to be vulnerable and share one’s journey, but I suppose that’s exactly what I’m asking you to do; as I said, it’s been a mostly successful series, as others have been willing to share in the last few years that we’ve done this.

You might learn something; you might teach someone something; you might meet someone virtually who positively affects your journey in some way; and more.

So what’s YOUR story?

Email me at obensont@gmail.com with “What’s Your Story” in the subject heading. You can submit your story in any format – written, or even documented on video – and I’ll post it here on the site. I recommend being honest and thorough; not just a written ad for your next project. It could be a story about a current situation you find yourself in; or it could cover several days, weeks, months, or years of your career. It could be that you just want to vent your frustrations; aspects of, or people in this business that piss you off; aspects of, or people in the industry that encourage you. It doesn’t have to be all negative, nor all positive. We’re all complex people and so I assume our stories are as well. And be sure to attach a photo (hi-res) for me to include (although it doesn’t have to be a photo of yourself; just make sure you have the rights to whatever image you send), and if you have samples of your work, include them as well. Posts with visual aids tend to travel more.

There’s no deadline, so send as you will.

For a sample of past submissions so you can get an idea of what’s been done before, click here.

You can also email me if you have any questions about what to submit, or anything else related to this series.