<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/HTFawF9.jpg) </center>

Okay, admittedly, I haven’t been in a class setting (even a virtual one) for years. Today, I took my first lesson in Casey Neistat’s filmmaking class and had a chance to meet my peer group. My classmates are from all over the world and have a wide variety of backgrounds and skill sets. 

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/IAPAcqu.jpg) </center>

My first impression is the course will be a lot of FUN, it will push me out of my comfort zone, and possibly set the course for the next decade of my life. 

Today’s class really has gotten the idea muscle fired up. Casey just taught us his methodology for coming up with film concepts. The spontaneousness of his particular brand of filmmaking style has already taken a lot of the stress out of the process for me and put more of an emphasis on the creativity of it all. Our first assignment is to come up with a few ideas for our own short film. 

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## "I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something." Neil Gailman ##

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I can already tell this was a good investment in my time and money. I’ve been feeling so constrained lately by expressing myself only in the written word. Peoples’ attention spans seem to be shrinking more every year. Film might be the last medium left to truly tell a compelling story that people will devote their entire attention to.

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## "All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." Ralph Waldo Emerson ## 

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As I look over the montages I’ve posted over the years on my YouTube channel I can see this has always been the direction I was heading. 

https://youtu.be/qrrzT2_0ZrA

I feel like life is a constant quest to prove the internal voice that screams...  

 ## <center> *YOU CAN'T DO THIS!* </center> ## 

<center> or </center>

## <center> *YOU'RE TOO OLD!* </center> ##

<center> or </center>

## <center> *THIS IS A WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME!* </center> ##

<center> is dead wrong.  </center>

It’s so great to feel this ignited and inspired about something again. After existing in the strange world of the pandemic with all of its fear, tragedy, and emotional manipulation I'm starting to feel myself coming alive again. I can’t wait to share more with you all.  

Have a wonderful week everyone! 

Eric 

 
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<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/HxpLgqSl.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ) </center>

Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive. 

[Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ)  



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<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/b5U8dqm.jpg?1)](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) </center>

Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel. 

These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, [Mindful Moments](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com. 



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# <center> Let’s Keep In Touch </center> #

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<center> [www.ericvancewalton.net](http://www.ericvancewalton.net) </center>
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