Less Is More
How a week in the van sparked something in me.
Hello there….
A few weeks ago, we packed the car full to the brim, and headed to Gairloch in west Scotland. One of our friends had kindly offered us her caravan for the week. We packed for every weather event in The Highlands, and as I squeezed the Boogie Board in between hiking boots, bobble hats and a beach ball, we were set to go!
When we arrived, it transported me right back to those summer holidays when my Grandma took me and my sister away to her friend’s caravan. The sound of the door unlocking, the click click of the gas hob for the first cuppa, and the sound of the curtains being pulled back.
Back to our getaway. After the first couple of days, we all got into the swing of things. We had our routines, our set tasks to keep everything running smoothly and the van looking tidy. Outdoor shoes placed neatly at the door, the plates stacked in the bowl and taken to the block to be washed, and I kid you not, I even got into taking the cassette toilet to the emptying station!
After a lifetime of fighting routines, I know that I thrive on them, and this place gave it to me in washing up bucket loads!
But not just that, I really felt that less is more. When you’re in such a reduced size, it changes you. I felt we’d shown up as a famly as our best selves. We really worked as a team, we all had our roles.
In giving us less, we gain so much more.
As some of you know, a few years ago, I made a film with a family who were just about to upgrade their caravan. As soon as I walked in, I could feel the love and the warmth held in this space, and the memories that have been created there. When I was recording Gemma’s voice over, she remarked about the reduced size and how it had been the magic for their family. I had her voice in my ears on our holiday ‘In giving us less, we gain so much more’.
And since we’ve come back, it’s been making me think about my business in this way.
Maybe now's the time to let things go gently that are just not serving a purpose in the business, a sort of end of summer cleanse. Maybe by offering less, I’d be offering more?
The van life holiday has sparked something in me. I’m hoping that in the coming weeks there will be some clarity, and these next few days might just help. I’m so chuffed that I’ve been accepted onto the Screen Argyll Industry Development Lab in the build up to the Tiree Film Festival. I’m really looking forward to conversations, workshops and mentoring with other women in the film industry. It feels like it’s coming along at just the right time. I will report back from the island in my next letter to you!
When you stop chasing the wrong thing, you give the right things a chance to catch you - Lolly Daskal
Talking about letters, you might notice something different around here! For those who have been part of The Monthly Brew for a while, when you last heard from me, I said I might be moving over to Substack. I have grown to love this space for reading and discovering accounts, and I see it as a space to develop my own writing. And then I became the biggest procastinator and as a product of this, I haven’t written to you at all, so I’m apologising here! Today, I’ve just decided to press send.
Expect exactly the same from me on The Monthly Brew front, a letter from me to you every month (I promise from now on). I’m also seeing this space as a place I can write a little more, so there may be other missives from me through the month, little snapshots of life and creativity in my publication Stories From The Fireside, and I’d love you to come along with me too. Sometimes there may be chats about certain courses, mentoring and film offers too.
Fresh Work
I was down in Bedford last week working with the wonderful team at Harris & Jones. They make beautiful bespoke stationary and it was an absolute joy to film them all in their workshop. All the old tools and equipment were on show, so you can imagine I was like a kid in a sweet shop! After my trip to Tiree I’ll be in edit mode, but here’s a clip for now. Dust and light for the win.
Work with me
I’ve had a bit of a late summer spruce up of the website on my film pages. I’ve now separated it out into brand films, family work and my new offering, Film Fridays. If you’re a business in HX7 looking for beautiful video content, this might just be the place for you. And if you’d like your own film for your creative business wherever you are in the country, we still have time to work together before, dare I say it, the year is over. I hope by separating it out, it brings a bit more clarity to my film offerings. Always happy to hear your thoughts!
Mentoring
There are new autumn dates on my website now for 1-1 sessions. This can be for your filmmaking or for your photography. You can check the dates out here and read more about it.
And although I haven’t put it up yet on my website, I have just dipped my toes back into online 1-1 mentoring. I’ve recently been working with a small team at an art gallery to help them with their photography. And I’ve also been helping a photographer with her filmmaking skills and story weaving. Both of these have been over a 3 month period. If this is something you’d like to do and can’t make the 1-1 in person, this could be a great way of us working together. Would you be interested?
I will also be setting up one off mentoring chats over Zoom. This could be that you’re feeling a bit rusty with your filming or photography and would like a gently creative nudge! Or if you wanted to chat through a project with me, and we can find the best way of approaching it. If you’d be interested in these stand alone hour long sessions, do let me know here.
1-1 Filmmaking day with Lucy Franks at The Penny Bun - Ilkley
Inspiration
If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know that I share short films that have touched or inspired me. So why break with tradition…
Since watching Twister, I’ve always been fascinated by storm chasers. It’s not for me IRL, but I will live vicariously through films like this. Chasing Monsters by Krystle Wright is about Canon photographer Nick Moir. It’s short and intense and cuts straight to the heart of what fuels his obsession. No voice over, just an amazing soundscape and photography.
Women in Tech Global, with the support of UN Women, launched a global awareness campaign to confront the persistent existence of the glass ceiling for girls and women. In this short film, created by French creative agency WAY TV and directed by Maïlis, we are transported into the imaginary world of a little girl. ‘She navigates a world where the ceiling is literally very low, almost within arm’s reach. Her bedroom, dining room, and even the ceiling in her own school — all seem restricted’.
Kyoko invites us into this beautiful and hopeful film made by Reflections of Life. For her, paper is a metaphor for life.
‘Teaching origami, what I want to create is that awareness that our situation can transform just like the paper’.
We have reached the last sip in the cup. I’ll write again soon with the energy of the Tiree surf and sand still with me. Thanks for joining me for a Brew.
Sarah x
Enjoyed reading this. We lived in a caravan when I was a young child, (lack of housing and moving around with my father’s job). It was smaller than the places now installed in areas of outstanding natural beauty, had a proper coke stove, a tiny kitchen which served as bathroom sink and a toilet. Baths in a tin bath by the stove. My mother kept it spotless, we HAD to be tidy - my brother and I - putting every toy away before bed. I don’t ever recall feeling deprived or unusual. We lived in fields and next to farms. It was I guess a kind of idyllic childhood for a few years.
Lovely post Sarah 💛