Hi Brooke-

My goal since I started in January has been to make money off my creative work. I can find new, energizing successful thoughts but I haven’t quite been able to believe them. I’ve recently realized how much this ties into the fact that my past creative work has not made money.

I poured my heart and soul into independently writing, directing and producing a documentary that I thought was going to breakthrough and screen on TV and make money. These were my benchmarks for success. I made a film I’m proud of, that screened in festivals across the country and around the world, won some awards, and sold it to schools like Harvard, Duke and others. But it didn’t make money nor did it screen on TV. I get hung up wondering where I went wrong, wondering if I marketed it differently would it have been more successful?

I think this is the source of the self-doubt that sneaks in when I’m trying my new creative venture- writing screenplays (it’s much cheaper than actually making a film). I doubt my instincts and belief in myself. I’m also thinking of re-releasing it on new platforms (iTunes, Amazon Prime) even though it came out several years ago now because I think it’s more relevant now. Am I crazy to go back to it? I just can’t believe that no one was really buying what I was offering. I want to give it one more chance.

How do you move forward when you believe you have something great to offer but it isn’t resonating with audiences like you thought it would? Do I just drop it and keep going? Call it a disappointment and move on?

Thanks Brooke!