We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Colin King a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Colin, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Fear can be both friend and foe. As humans we developed fear as a survival mechanism. It alerts us to just about every possible risk there is. So much so in fact that often times it is completely irrational from a logical perspective but yet can feel so incredibly real. I think fear is one of the biggest contributing factors when it comes to imposter syndrome. It makes us feel as if we are going to get ourselves into trouble for just trying to become the people that we want to be. For most things in life there is no clear line that separates the novices and the experts. It is in fact a very wide blurry gap that is impossible to pinpoint. This is something that took me time to realize. Even though I knew how much I was interested in becoming a videographer/filmmaker I would find every excuse why I couldn’t become one, or why I wasn’t one. It was when I started to see that not every “wannabe” filmmaker online was great, but the ones that weren’t great weren’t all bad. There were folks that seemed to be in every stage of professionalism, and my idea of what was great and what wasn’t actually changed the more I learned and the better I got. I finally realized that yes, there was a hill to climb if I wanted to become what I felt so passionate about but it wasn’t impossible. It would just take a lot of little steps. I learned that even though I was a novice, it was okay to call myself a film maker. That was the first step I took in order to overcome the idea that I wasn’t, or could not be a film maker. Imposter syndrome is something I think that just about everyone that pursues their passion as a career deals with to a certain extent. They respect the art or practice so much that they feel like they don’t deserve to be called an artist or practitioner, yet they continue to strive in the direction of becoming one because they care about it so much. That is how I often feel. I see the great work of those that have come before me, like the Peter Mckinnons of the world, who for those that might not know is an amazingly talented and likable filmmaker that seemed to kind of start a self education filmmaking revolution on youtube for the last 8 or so years now, and I know that I have a long way to go to become like them, and from one perspective that can seem discouraging but when I choose to look at how far I have come from the beginning of my filmmaking journey I remember that it’s all about taking those small steps and not looking too far ahead. It really is all about “faking it until you make it”. That’s what everyone is doing. Those that are successful and seem completely self confident didn’t always feel like that and weren’t always successful. But knowing who they are, who they wanted to become, and always being willing to learn more was the key to their success and ultimately the key to overcoming imposter syndrome. For me overcoming imposter syndrome is reaching out to a client I would like to work with as if I know that I can make them an incredible video advertisement even when I’m afraid that I could fail. I’ve realized that those fearful thoughts and doubts are irrational and only holding me back from success. If I’ve done it once, I know I can do it again. So I must remind myself of that.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a photographer and filmmaker. I’ve made wedding films, commercial ads, as well as done some documentary work. I love telling other people’s stories. A story can be found anywhere and told in so many different ways. When it comes to telling stories with filmmaking the sky is the limit. I often find that in filmmaking stories tend to tell themselves. What I mean by that is that it can seem that there are so many different roads to take and the decisions are endless, and that can be overwhelming, but the most important thing you can do is just start. That is what I’ve learned to do, and once you start often times things seem to almost magically fall together in the most amazing way. Stories really do seem to take on a life of their own and it is such a privilege to be the one who gets to facilitate this process. Originally I had decided to call my business “Colin King Productions”, but after a while the time came where I felt the need to rebrand and name it after something that had once inspired me. That is why I went with Blue Mt. Visuals. An homage to a place from my youth that reminds me of challenges that were overcome and beauty that was beheld. I am currently trying to become a full time filmmaker in the advertisement space in my local area, however I will continue looking for opportunities to tell real stories in pursuit of becoming a documentary filmmaker. What that looks like in my future I’m not sure but I know I’m excited about it.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First and foremost I think gratitude is abundantly important when it comes to pursuing a goal. Even when the opportunity you have to pursue a goal seems small it is nothing short of a gift to have that opportunity and to have the passion to pursue it. So we must be grateful, lest we fall into the trap of bitterness, contempt, and despair, which will only hinder us from anything we wish to accomplish. Secondly discipline. Having discipline is a lifelong uphill battle. But the more you fight that battle the more habits you will form and the easier it will become. It’s like a muscle, it won’t grow unless you use it on a regular basis. Last of all persistence. It is completely inevitable that you’ll fail at times. Things won’t go as smoothly as you thought. Things will almost definitely be more difficult than you thought. The true test of one’s passion is their persistence and perseverance. If you are truly passionate about your craft and your goals, you won’t let unforeseen challenges keep you from moving forward, even if sometimes you have to take three steps back before you can move one step ahead.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My wife, Nastasha, has been immensely helpful in my journey to become a filmmaker. She’s always encouraged me. She’s always been there for to me to talk things out, even when at times it may seem as though I’m rambling incoherently just trying to get my thoughts out. She always willing to help me and assist me in anyway she can. Her advice and often times ideas are invaluable, and above all she’s always believed in me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bluemtvisuals.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: bluemtvisuals
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueMtVisuals/
- Youtube: The Kingdom Endeavor
Image Credits
All of these images were taken by me and/or with the help of my wife, and edited by me.
