Hey everyone,
So sorry about the slog in posting.
I’ve been caught up in taking things day-by-day and really moment-to-moment, so I haven’t been writing or thinking as much (uh-oh!).
But I have some time this morning to sit down and write this.
I’m really glad that I do, because oh man! A lot has happened since my last post A MONTH AGO! (My bad!!)
A Journey’s End
At the beginning of the month, on October 8, it was my birthday.
I turned 20.
And, if you’ve been following my accounts (@bennyfeldz), you’d know that I had been posting everyday, for about 4 months, until my 20th birthday.
These posts were just me summing up my days, or reflecting on interesting things from my life.
It was a great way for me to spend bits of my summer.
However, this has been something I had wanted to do since I was 18, in my senior year of highschool during my holiday break.
But some things were holding me back:
I, like many, was scared to start
I had no idea what the hell I was doing, or what I wanted to do
I was afraid of what others would think of me
I didn’t trust that I could actually make creating a part of my lifestyle
Why would anyone listen to me?
This made the act of creating and posting a video seem like an impossible task. It took months to even get motivated, so how was I gonna actually post something for others to see and critique?
The answer for me was to put this project off. I spent a year and a half going about my days, itching to create, but scared to start.
Freshman year of college came and went, but then the summer came. A breath of fresh air.
I took a trip with my family to Michigan, and during that trip I journaled about starting my videos and social media. I knew it would be hard to post, but something had changed.
I took a leap of faith.
I remember getting back from that trip in late May, and riding around my neighborhood on a bike, just thinking of how I wanted the summer to go.
I knew that I wanted to spend a lot of time creating things over the summer, so I made a vow to post daily starting the next day.
And, I did!
132 days later, I finished the challenge I had set up for myself.
And I just feel an immense sense of pride.
A year ago, what I did seemed impossible, but I did it. Finally!
I’m super grateful to anyone who tuned in, and I hope you enjoyed those videos.
I haven’t posted anything since October 8th, as I'm taking a little break to figure out what I want to post for the near future.
I’m really excited to get back to creating content, and I am excited to really grow and develop my skills on camera, as a videographer, editor, and producer of my content.
It’s all an exercise, and even if I get no external results from creating, I’ll have a ton of tangible skills to carry with me in the future.
Keep an eye out for my next post! (hopefully in the next few weeks!)
Theatre!!!
This month has also been a huge acting month for me!
My show, Greater Tuna, opened this week, and it has been a ton of fun.
In an hour actually, I’m gonna be at the theatre to start warming up for our closing matinee today.
I’m insanely grateful to the whole team for working so hard on this show.
It has been the most challenging theatre process for me, because it’s a very vocal and physically-intense comedy, which isn’t like anything I’ve ever done before onstage.
But everyone on the show has helped me so much.
I’m proud of the work we’ve done, and this show has helped me learn a ton about characterization and myself as an actor.
I’m super pumped to work on cool shows in the future, and have been loving all of my acting classes and theatre experiences at USC.
Now, onto the books baby!
Books With Benny
Ok, I’m not gonna lie, my reading hasn’t been great this month.
I’ve been caught up with college stuff, so reading has definitely suffered.
I’m still reading Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, and it’s still a great read!
Right now it’s discussing early religion, and how even religions such as Buddhism still have monotheistic parts. It’s super cool to read up on history of things such as world religion, something I find fascinating.
I love history, and I’m excited to learn more specific details of history through books, podcasts, and other mediums. This book is a pretty general overview of human history, and is easily digestible.
If anyone has any history book recs, let me know!
Quote of the Week (Month!)
“I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way!” - Naruto Uzumaki, Naruto
I’m rewatching my all-time favorite TV show, Naruto, with my sister right now.
This quote is something I’ve always loved, as I grew up with those show, and it definitely is a big part of making me into the person I am today, especially Naruto’s character.
I’ve been trying hard to build consistent habits over the past few months, and lately, those habits have been harder or much more inconsistent for me.
This quote is a great reminder to trust myself and my word, and to do the things I say I’m gonna do.
I’m excited to carry this energy into the coming week.
Thank You!
Thanks for reading!
I’m glad to be writing again, and I hope you’ve had a great October!
I’m excited for the rest of the semester/year, and will try my best to write one of these a week.
SEE YA NEXT WEEK!
Ben Feldman
vol. 10
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