It's Never Too Late

I remember the day I decided to pursue filmmaking full time. I knew it was what I wanted to do, but it was hard to take the initial step to do it. Why? Because of fear. Fear of failure, fear of risk, fear of not being able to provide for my family, but especially the fear that I was too old to change careers. I was 33 at the time and had years of catching up to do. There were a plethora of 18 year olds on Youtube and Vimeo who were producing amazing film content. This discouraged me from switching careers.

Yet something in me drove me to pursue the career I’d loved since I was young. So what was my response? To feel the fear and go for it. I asked God to help me, to provide equipment, to open doors, and to help me to learn the latest equipment, so that I was all caught up. My resolve from the get go was to pray, pray, pray, relying on God every step of the way. The amazing thing is He has been faithful to help me in every detail!

Looks like i’m not the only one who switched careers later in life to work in the arts. Check out this list:

At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.

At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job. 

At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.
At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school. 

At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare

At age 28, Wayne Coyne (from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook. 

At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter. 

At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker. 

At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs. 

Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, got her own cooking show at age 51. 

Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40. 

Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40. 

Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42. 

Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46. 

Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR movie role at age 52. 

Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made The Hurt Locker at age 57. 

Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76. 

Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78. 

Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it!