It's only natural to want to reflect on the achievements that have developed over 10 years - millions of people reached, hundreds of thousands of images shared, film festival credits, awards won, and a long list of unique bucket-list adventures checked off. It's easy to celebrate those highs and make it sound like everything was destined to be. However, on a personal level this website turning 10 is really a celebration of just one thing - persistence.
In the lifespan of this website I've changed directions quite a bit. I've outlasted a lot of similar sites that sprung up at the same time as mine, and I've seen countless creative beginnings and endings from hundreds of other really talented people. There hasn't been a year (especially since Editing Luke became a full-time gig) without serious challenges, doubts, or obstacles that made me question my entire approach.
Editing Luke went from a film student's blog in 2007 to a filmmaker's media production company in 2017, but making this work hasn't been as easy as it often looks from the outside. People ask me all the time about how I've been able to do this as a career, but there really isn't a secret. It took years of work before I was able to transition this into a business and still maintain the integrity behind the type of content that I wanted to put my name on.
If I were to simplify it, a lot of the success has come from putting in dedicated daily hours, differentiating myself from potential competitors, regularly expanding into new markets, and nurturing a following by being consistent with what I produce and share. Even still, I'll be the first to admit that this entire operation is a continual work in progress.
From the start, the idea behind "editing" Luke was that I was striving to better myself. As a result, this digital scrapbook has kept me accountable to my ambitions. It's motivated me to do more. It's given me the opportunity to reflect on my progress, and to improve on what I've already done. As a creator, it's always kept me focused on what I was doing as a career and provided me with an outlet to experiment with my creative evolution.
Perhaps most gratifying, this website has far surpassed my initial expectations of what I thought it would become and what I thought it could help me achieve professionally. I dread to think how many incredible experiences I would've missed out on over the last decade had I not started this when I did. And therein lies the true achievement in all of this - not waiting for permission, not waiting to be handed your dream, but actively striving for it and making it a reality for yourself. I'm still adding new goals to the list every time I check one off.
A decade ago I felt compelled to start this, not because I had a grand vision of what my future had in store, but because I felt lost, and I knew this was a small step in the right direction. I'm now more driven than ever to build on what I've created. Ten years in and I couldn't be happier to be starting another chapter in this story, if for no other reason, because there's still so much I want to do. Take it from me, whatever your adventure, the greatest investment you can make is with your time. Here's to day 1 of the next decade.
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