Behind The Lens
Every Sunday, I share stories from the projects I’m working on, lessons I’ve learned, and tips to help you grow your creative skills. Whether you’re a filmmaker, content creator, or just love real, unfiltered stories, this newsletter is for you.
Your brain is better than AI...
BEHIND THE LENS BY JOEL BRYANT Hey friends, I was on a call with a fellow creative the other day, and he told me something that put a knot in my stomach... He'd been talking to a business owner about helping them with some video, and the guy said something that made him stop. "Why pay a videographer two grand when a twenty-dollar AI tool can spit out something that'll be good enough by Friday?" It wasn't said in a mean way. It was just a thought on his mind that came out naturally, the way...
The Winter Arc
BEHIND THE LENS BY JOEL BRYANT Hey friends, If you're in Australia, then you've probably noticed that the days are getting shorter. You can feel it now. The light fades earlier, the air's got that cool edge to it, and for me, my hometown Byron Bay is slowly emptying out the way it always does this time of year. Upon reflecting a few days ago, the change in seasons made me realise something about myself that's changed this year. For the first few years of my twenties, I hated winter. I lived...
A Year of Silence... and What It Taught Me
Pheeew... October already! Time moves fast, doesn't it? I just realised it’s been nearly a year since I’ve written one of these.And in that time, everything has changed. Not just in my work, but in who I am. I used to think growth meant staying consistent.Post every week. Build momentum. Never stop.But the truth is, that rhythm started to drown out what really mattered. So, I hit pause. Where have I been? (When you're done reading, this video will catch you up) Well, these past nine months...
The Limbo Week
Joel Bryant // December 29th, 2024 The Limbo Week. This weird week between Christmas and New Year’s, internationally famous as the time when everyone does… well, nothing. Or so it seems. What I’ve come to realise is that it’s not really a time when people do “nothing.” Instead, it’s a guilt-free pocket of time where people let themselves think about what they genuinely enjoy. It’s a moment to step off the treadmill of work, deadlines, and obligations and reconnect with passions and ideas that...
Growth, Creativity & Change: Preparing for 2025
Joel Bryant // December 22nd, 2024 Like it or not—nothing lasts forever. Life moves in chapters, some long, some short, but all ever-moving. Sometimes I feel like I’m running on autopilot, trying to make the most of each day, striving to achieve as much as I possibly can in every waking hour. In this constant state of flow, there’s an ever-present motion, guiding me along on my journey in life—as if I’m being carried by an unseen current. This year has been monumental for me—physically,...
How your worst day can define you.
Joel Bryant // December 8th, 2024 Sometimes, no matter how much momentum you have, no matter how high you’re riding the wave—you hit a wall. That’s exactly what happened to me recently. For three months, I felt unstoppable. Building my personal brand, pumping out consistent content, sticking to my creative goals—I was on fire. But life, as it does, had other plans. The cracks started to show when I missed a weekly YouTube upload. Then another. The schedule I had promised myself fell apart as...
You don’t have to do it alone…
Joel Bryant // December 1st, 2024 If you had to build a house, would you attempt it alone? Probably not. So why, as creatives, do we so often try to pull off entire projects by ourselves—without ever thinking to ask for help? I’ll admit, I’ve always been a bit of a creative lone wolf. There’s a certain pride in taking things into your own hands, seeing a project through from start to finish. But recently, the sheer number of tasks I’ve taken on left me feeling overwhelmed and, honestly,...
Start before you know how.
Joel Bryant // November 24th, 2024 Have you ever felt that knot in your stomach—the one that whispers “What if I’m not good enough?” Imposter syndrome is a relentless companion, especially when you're standing at the edge of something new and intimidating. That fear of not knowing where to start? It can be paralysing. I felt every ounce of that fear recently when I got a call that would change everything... It’s 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon. Sitting at my desk, headphones on and music up, I’m...
Every Sunday, I share stories from the projects I’m working on, lessons I’ve learned, and tips to help you grow your creative skills. Whether you’re a filmmaker, content creator, or just love real, unfiltered stories, this newsletter is for you.