Sean Graham

I am 30 (and a half) years old, 5 years into a career in film (media), after 3 in diplomacy, after 2 years of coding, after graduating with a bachelors degree in cognitive sciences and psychology. 5 years ago I wrote my own personal mission statement: To create quality, entertaining, and educational media by harnessing new technologies and collaborating with creative individuals from around the world to inform and influence an emerging global culture.

Here I was 5 years later launching new offices of a company that does just that and trying to straddle educating professionals and creating content for audiences across (1) a primarily Hindu and Muslim Indian democracy with umpteen languages and regional identities, (2) a monarchy in the Middle East that is rightfully Islamic and though natively Emirati populated almost 90% by immigrants from the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Africa, Europe, and the US and americas, and (3) the United States and it’s international markets with a focus on Asia and the pacific region - basically everywhere - but, I was sick, sad, and surprisingly confused.

Then it clicked. I had become aware of my awareness of presence and saw myself trying to make the mood sour. Everything I could ask for in front of me and yet “I” was choosing paralysis - choosing to sleep, to ruminate, to avoid interaction, or essentially take any action at all. Not sure where to step on the runes of destiny I fell numb and aloof. Victimized freedom. Escapism by effort. Intentional vulnerability. I was confounded and could not compute - I broke down, malfunctioned, reset. Computation complete? We’ll see.

I realized I was sitting in “my room” as Sean, this half-Romanian, half-black American guy with an afro who traveled to India to make “The Ramayan: Enter the Forest” a short film about a guy named Ram, an exiled prince, who becomes the center of story that has found a home in the hearts of billions of Hindus and non-Hindus alike. A mythology to unite the east and west through story and song, through history and identity. My attempt to make a little ding in the shields of ignorant intolerance. Doing good and having fun. The dream.

What had brought me here over 2 years ago was a journey I had only roughly sketched out. Go for 3 months. Make the short. Come back and release that year. Make the game. Sell the shirts. Episode 1 a year later. Oscars the next. Sorted. Seemed simple enough. Then those breadcrumbs started rolling in. A shift. A chuckle - the laugh of god.

The plan took on a life of it’s own of course. The Oscars came and went. Never got the invite for some reason. Well, many reasons I know, but some I likely never will. Should probably finish the film first. Time will tell. I stayed. 6 months. A year. It happens quickly when life moves on. I made many friends and acquaintances. A feeling of home settled in. I traveled and I ate. I made plans. Experienced. I had laughs.

Wandering takes its toll though and reality has a way of rotting without direction. Stagnation is quite natural if one loses purpose. Then an election delivered, expertly paired with the notice of demonetization. A hint that the world was a little sillier than expected. Not so serious at the end of the day, after all. Not that peril isn’t real, but that the people who create it are quite often unqualified to do their jobs. We all are - and that’s the point. We’re not perfect. We’re often confused. We're usually well-intended. We’re sometimes wrong. But no matter what we absolutely must continue to act - be the best we can - and enjoy the ride.

Another HUGE breadcrumb comes rolling down the path. Fresh, hot, wreaking of sweet, freshly baked opportunity. I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes. Yes, I saw the sign. Mmm mmm, that tastes good. I dug in. No way I could finish this all in one bite. A year later I had learned so much more about the worlds around me. My perspectives on content, on storytelling, on film, video, technology and the minds of the people and communities creating these digital destinations had shown me a new way to see - my vision revamped.

So here I am with eyes anew ready to share something that matters with you. I’ve written this mostly for myself, no doubt. Selfish but for good reason. I think it’s what I’m supposed to do. I need to write. I fall ill when I don’t. But more than that I need to share. I’ve allowed myself to half-create for far too long, making sour what was already sweet. Hell, even sweet-n-sour can be pretty nice.

Regardless, it’s time to serve it up rather than let things rot on hard drives or wrapped up in confused and confounded thought. I’ve started with this post and challenge you to challenge me to create more and share more, be it films, videos, podcasts, short stories, or ads, maybe even dabble in a play. Up to you. Then to me. Food is always on the table.

To end, here’s a copy of my first ever “blog” post, a poem I wrote for myself in 2010, resurrected now on LinkedIn. 8 years ago. I never really posted again. Let’s not let that happen again. #serveitup2018