My film Revolutionary America released two Sundays ago, and one question I’ve been asked repeatedly is “How do you feel about it?”
The honest answer is: It’s complicated!
On one hand, it performed well! During its three-day theatrical run, it generated nearly $1 million at the box office. Not bad for a documentary. Most people don’t go to theaters to watch documentaries the way they do blockbuster films, so we’re grateful for the response.
Our goal was to give patriotic Americans an opportunity to celebrate their country together on the big screen during America’s 250th anniversary. By that measure, the film succeeded. And, according to audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, it was the highest-rated film in theaters for two weeks.
On the other hand, the work of a filmmaker never really ends.
In many ways, you’re only as good as your last project. That reality has driven generations of filmmakers. I suspect it’s one reason so many directors continue working well into their 80s and 90s. They love storytelling, and they believe the next film can always be better than the last.
So when people ask me, “How are you feeling?” my first thought isn’t, “I’ve achieved my dream.”
Instead, I think, “I can’t wait for you to see what we’re working on next.”
One of the strange realities of filmmaking is that the work audiences see today is often a year or two behind where you are creatively. The film playing in theaters now was likely written, shot, and edited long ago. The projects that excite me most today are the ones the world won’t see until next year, or perhaps the year after.
That’s not to say I’m not proud of Revolutionary America. I am.
I’m proud of the way it honors the story of freedom-loving Americans and the generations who came before us. I’m honored when audience members tell me they were moved to tears. And I’m grateful to have played a small role in preserving and sharing the story of this country, its achievements, its struggles, and the ideals that continue to inspire people around the world.
But when I really think about the question, “How do you feel?” my mind goes to a book called The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Ben Hardy.
A few years ago, my business coach Chad Johnson spent a lot of time discussing this idea with me. The premise is simple:
If you measure your life by what you haven’t accomplished yet (“the Gap”), you’ll often feel frustrated and unfulfilled.
If you measure your life by how far you’ve come (“the Gain”), you’ll have a healthier perspective on your progress.
This doesn’t mean ignoring what remains to be done. Ambition is good. Goals matter. Growth matters.
But there’s wisdom in honestly holding both realities in mind at the same time, recognizing how far you’ve come while remaining aware of how far you still have to go.
One gives you gratitude. The other gives you hunger. Together, they provide both the confidence to keep moving forward and the humility to keep improving.
So here’s to living neither in the future nor in the past, but in the present. Here’s to holding the future and past in tension with each other. Here’s to being grateful for the opportunities we’ve been given and the blessings we’ve received. And here’s to remaining hungry for the work that still lies ahead.
Here’s to Human Flourishing!
-Ian