We were lucky to catch up with Cole Mitchek recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cole, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I was a determined & goal oriented kid. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I didn’t realize that most dreams in life don’t come easily. In some ways I feel lucky that I found my creative style at an early age because it’s afforded me an artistic road to stay on as other areas of my life move in different directions. I think it’s hard to remain creative when the logistics of life get in the way. But because I was so heavily influenced by certain aspects of cinematic history from different filmmakers when I was younger, I used those pure inspirations to guide me creatively as I continue to change. For me it helps that my creativity has limits, because without any limitations then I wouldn’t know which direction to go.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I make small acoustic sessions with musicians all over the world. From Peru to the United States to France, I meet these artists and I get to know them with long conversations at cafés and parks after filming them & their songs in quiet streets and big squares. I’m filming & sharing new videos every week via smallsongs. It seems to be a never ending journey of discovery focusing on people & places & scenes & cultures & music. Recently the most rewarding part of smallsongs is just getting to know people who are different from me. On one hand, it’s always reassuring to be reminded that people are just people no matter where you go. On the other hand, it’s been really fascinating to see how different cultures & cities can influence specific artistic scenes.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think confidence/believing in yourself goes a long way. The world can try to drag you down at times. The opinions of the people who don’t understand what you’re doing or who don’t care what you’re doing really don’t matter. Just do what feels right to you, with confidence. Also just do it. Don’t overthink it, because then the time will pass and you’ll be stuck on having some old artistic dream that was never fulfilled or that you’re not really interested in anymore. I’ve got a few of those. But I try to consistently get that creative energy out of my system and in to the world regardless of how imperfect it is, or regardless of how many people are paying attention. Then I can move on to the next thing more freely & and I think I’ll have less regrets this way when I’m an old man. I’m also not a very technically talented filmmaker, because I never really cared about all the specifics of how the film industry expects you to make a film. Just do it however feels right given your specific circumstances. Use your iPhone as the camera and your friends as your actors if you’d like.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents helped to give me the belief that the world is my oyster, so I feel really grateful for that. This belief may be unrealistic at times, but that type of mindset can go a long way. Now I’m traveling the world with my wife & my son from Barcelona to London to Denver to Paris to Istanbul & so on. I feel uncertain about the future but I feel alive. I’m living in the present tense most of the time, experiencing the beauty of discomfort & growth. It’s a bit strange though, because I grew up in the same place my whole childhood & now my 3 year old son has already spent time living on the 3 different continents & in multiple different countries. So my hope is that I can pass down a similar optimistic energy down to my niño by introducing him to this beautifully diverse world from a young age. But mainly I’m just doing my best to be a loving & supportive dad through all these changes.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @smallsongs_
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/smallsongs
- Other: https://www.patreon.com/smallsongs?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
