By: Lydia Hurlbut
This guest article was written by Lydia Hurlbut, Health & Wellness Mentor at Filmmakers Academy, an on-demand educational platform that bridges the gap between traditional film studies and the fast-paced, competitive job market.
The past six years have brought an earthquake of change and intense pressure for filmmakers. Life feels increasingly relentless: financial instability, inconsistent work, higher expectations paired with smaller budgets, relationship pressures, and the challenge of finding time for personal growth and creativity amidst packed schedules. Many filmmakers are resorting to side hustles, simply trying to “survive until 2025” by leveraging their unique skills. The global pandemic intensified these struggles, fueling a fear-based mentality further compounded by strikes, global inflation, climate change-related weather events, and a world rife with chaos, anger, and division.
Surviving all of this is an accomplishment in itself, but what if you could thrive by understanding who you truly are, what you’re meant to do in this world, and how to consistently show up as your highest, most authentic self? The strong, vulnerable, intentional, committed-to-growth version of yourself has the power to create an impact in every area of your life. This is possible when you have a deep understanding of who you are, how to embody your purpose and find a variety of ways to create a rich, meaningful life. The energy you put out ripples from your personal genius zone. Add a loving, supportive community that’s dedicated to your success, and you become unstoppable.
Baseline Assessment
Before diving into specific strategies, it’s important to take a baseline assessment of where you are in life and where you’d like to be. Christina Wallace touches on this in her book, The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career. Start by writing down what matters most to you: your core values, what you love doing, your natural talents (activities where you lose track of time), and the experiences and skills you’ve gained from past jobs. Using sticky notes for this exercise can be helpful, allowing you to move them around and identify patterns and possibilities.
Reflect on the meaning you’ve attached to past events and whether you’re truly doing what you love. Are you using your unique skill set with passion and purpose? If not, or if you feel stuck or missing out on opportunities, get curious. Talk to trusted friends or colleagues—they can offer insights and help you clarify what excites you. Ideally, do this exercise at least once a year to realign with your evolving passions.
Five Synergistic Strategies
I’ve used these strategies personally and with my clients for years, with powerful results. These aren’t hacks or quick fixes. They require awareness, consistent effort, and actionable daily practice. The goal is to uncover limiting reactions, discover internal “aha” moments about self-sabotage, and shift old patterns to live a joyful, meaningful, and purposeful life.
1. Master Your Mindset
Your mindset, attitude, and whether it’s in growth mode is critical. What we tell ourselves and others has a powerful impact on our present and future. Experiences, people, places, and events happen, and the meaning we attach based on past experience or emotional perspective in the moment can skew our interpretation.
Dr. Carol Dweck’s research on mindset theory describes the limitations of a fixed mindset, centered around outcomes, fixed intelligence, and fear of failure. A fixed mindset further promotes learned helplessness, and our brains naturally have a negativity bias—focusing more on the bad things that happen, amplifying them, and making decisions based on that negativity.
For example, imagine you had a bad day on set as a Director of Photography because the director yelled at you for taking too long with the lighting setup, even though you knew it would elevate the story. In a fixed mindset, you might tell yourself the director doesn’t appreciate you, and in your frustration, take it out on the crew, spreading that negativity further. Additional stress and anxiety follow, triggering the brain’s fight-or-flight response. Before long, you’re in a cycle of chronic stress, reinforcing thoughts like, “I’m never going to get ahead” or “The days on set are always impossible.” Anxiety spirals, and you start projecting a future of failure, further reinforced by these negative beliefs.
There is a much better way to treat ourselves, build relationships, communicate in an empowered way, and ignite professional momentum: embracing a growth mindset. When you shift into growth mode, obstacles become opportunities to learn. Curiosity, a superpower for creativity, is activated. You’re open to trying new things because the joy is found in the learning and discovery process, not just the outcome.
For example, let’s say a shot on set isn’t working the way it was written. In a growth mindset, you immediately notice the problem and brainstorm adjustments that aren’t too time-consuming. You consult with the director, discuss changes that work for the actors, and communicate these adjustments to the crew. The team is now working together to implement the new plan, and even under time pressure, your body and brain are in problem-solving mode. This approach uses the decision-making part of the brain, while your leadership skills help the crew execute efficiently. After an intense day, you focus on how well the team collaborated, and you feel confident, centered, and proud of the footage. Time spent in your “genius zone” creatively shows you at your best, and that’s what attracts more opportunities for success and loyalty in hiring.
2. Manage Your Stress Before It Manages You
Are you managing your stress, or is it controlling you? Your mindset plays a huge role in how you view the world and adds to your baseline stress level. Filmmakers experience stress in many forms, and it’s important to recognize how it manifests physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Physical stress is the easiest to notice, like tightness in your neck, upper back, or shoulders. Mental stress shows up as overthinking, obsessing, or getting stuck in perfectionism—reliving things from a shoot that didn’t go perfectly. Our performance-obsessed culture promotes both perfectionism and workaholism that keeps the brain stuck with attachment to the ego. Emotional stress feels like being on a constant rollercoaster: you’re exhausted, unmotivated, anxious, or depressed. Spiritual stress is when life feels meaningless, and you lose a sense of purpose and joy. It is the “why does anything matter” conversation you have with yourself.
Unchecked stress leads to burnout, health problems, and even death if ignored for too long. One way to manage it is by doing a quick check-in, ranking yourself on a scale of 1-10 physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Draw a wheel, divide it into sections labeled with each category, and rate yourself in each one. This awareness helps you pinpoint areas that need attention before stress takes over. Regular self-care, paying attention to internal cues like intuition and body scan check-ins can help you maintain balance.
3. Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is essential for thriving in such a demanding industry and the antidote to stress. When you take care of yourself, you perform at a higher level. Setting up a routine creates consistency, and even small, daily actions build big results over time.
Think of self-care like a bank account. On shoot days, your account may run low, but with regular deposits, you can replenish it. Even 15 minutes a day adds up. On demanding days, planning recovery time—whether through deep breathing, meditation, journaling, music, spiritual reflection, or walking in nature—prevents burnout and keeps you centered.
Ask yourself:
- What makes me feel cared for?
- What do I need more of today?
- What fills my heart?
- Where do I need to say “no” to create more space for self-care?
- What unique strengths do I have, and where do I want to focus?
Your preferences will guide you, and simplicity is key. If it’s too complicated, it won’t stick. Pay attention to how your body feels after each activity and let that guide your practice. If you are procrastinating or resistant, get curious about why you are not showing up for yourself. Self-care is your energetic salary, so make sure to invest wisely.
4. Balance Your Energy
Energy is a critical factor in creativity and success. If you’re constantly depleted, you won’t produce at the same level. Chronic stress, poor sleep, dehydration, processed foods, toxins and lack of exercise all drain energy, leading to adrenal fatigue and exhaustion. Relationships zap energy if they are crushing, neglectful, abusive or imbalanced. Lack of spiritual connection and belief in something greater than ourselves can cause blockages, misaligned energy centers and emotional disturbances that lead to physical and mental illness.
In filmmaking, this energy drain shows up as a lack of creativity or feeling blocked. But when you maintain healthy habits—like eating well, exercising, and getting high-quality sleep—you have more energy to fuel your creative output. Emotionally and spiritually, surrounding yourself with a loving, supportive community also contributes to your energy levels. When you feel aligned, creativity flows effortlessly, and you’re able to produce your best work.
5. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful force for personal joy and professional success. It shifts your focus from lack to abundance, creating a ripple effect that attracts more positive opportunities.
Start by setting aside 10 minutes each day to practice gratitude. Take ten deep breaths, write down what you’re grateful for, and let your heart feel the impact of those moments. This daily habit rewires your brain to notice the good in life and reduces stress. Gratitude increases dopamine and serotonin levels, boosting motivation, critical thinking, and better sleep. Over time, this practice strengthens your ability to deal with pressure and manifest success. This one practice is the magical ingredient to boost every positive aspect that already exists in your life.
Conclusion
By applying these five strategies—mastering your mindset, managing stress, prioritizing self-care, balancing energy, and practicing gratitude—you can not only survive but thrive in the demanding world of filmmaking. You’ll show up as your most powerful, creative self, ready to take on any challenge and succeed in ways you never thought possible.
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Lydia Hurlbut leads business development at Filmmakers Academy, an online educational platform founded in 2009 that provides on-the-job knowledge, career coaching, and a global network of filmmaking professionals.
With over two decades of experience advocating for health and wellness, Lydia’s career began as a pediatric nurse at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She later earned a master’s degree in forensic nursing from the University of Virginia, specializing in sexual violence investigations and developing programs to prevent psychological burnout for law enforcement.
A life-threatening bout with spinal meningitis in 2006 was a pivotal moment that sparked her commitment to self-care and work-life balance. Her recovery reinforced her mission to integrate health and wellness into her work across medical fields, coaching, and Reiki mastery.
As a mentor at Filmmakers Academy, Lydia inspires professionals with her focus on mindset, energy, and self-care, helping them achieve success in their careers and personal lives. Through her unique blend of expertise and relationships in the entertainment industry, she is dedicated to improving the lives of the next generation of filmmakers.
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Filmmakers Academy is an on-demand educational platform that bridges the gap between traditional film studies and the fast-paced, competitive job market. With a vast library of expert-led training videos, hands-on demonstrations, and personalized coaching, we equip both aspiring and working filmmakers with the skills they need to succeed. Our platform fosters a global community where users can share their work, network, and discover new opportunities—available anytime via desktop or our dedicated app, making it an indispensable on-the-job resource.
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Article References:
- https://medium.com/@tomhenell/the-difference-between-passion-purpose-and-meaning-ad61bb639167
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2023/12/11/10-traits-of-highly-successful-people/
- https://devinchughes.com/home/f/harvard-study-reveals-that-good-genes-are-nice-but-joy-is-better
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-hpa-axis-5222557
- https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/well/mind/gratitude-health-benefits.html
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-everyday-unconscious/201911/hack-your-unconscious-why-negative-feelings-linger-0
- https://medium.com/desk-of-van-schneider/if-you-want-it-you-might-get-it-the-reticular-activating-system-explained-761b6ac14e53
- https://www.verywellmind.com/negative-bias-4589618
- https://www.intelligentchange.com/blogs/read/the-benefits-of-positive-language
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6675340/
- The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger than Your Business Card by Christina Wallace.
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
- Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos by Emma Seppala, Ph.D.
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