This morning I filmed an interview with a talented videographer (who happens to live in my house, at least temporarily).
He set up his studio on our screened-in porch, being careful to arrange my chair so the beam wasn’t coming out of my head in the shot. Then he propped up the microphone just out of the set on a box, pillow, and two books.
We waited out the neighbor’s chainsaw and then the garbage truck, and commenced filming. Normal Cara, who is ridiculously self-conscious, would probably have spent an hour on her hair and nearly that on makeup, worried about what she was wearing and wondered if this was the best light to hide wrinkles, but there wasn’t time and it was too hot and c’mon, does anyone really care what I look like? More than that, I’m over it (as much as I can be). This message is so much more important than me and my flat hair.
The filming went really well, except for another interruption by a chain saw, and periodically you can see my dog’s tail wander through the set behind me. I’m excited to see what this young, talented filmmaker does with that first-class footage, plus the footage he captured when he traveled to me to shelters in Tennessee last summer. We’re hoping to debut it the week the book comes out.
The other way in which I’ve been stretching the boundaries of my comfort zone is by creating a podcast.
The idea came while I was traveling with Nancy, my friend and co-founder of Who Will Let the Dogs Out (and Edith’s mom) visiting shelters in the south for my book. We lamented that no one reads anymore and pictures can only tell you so much while listening to podcast after podcast traveling down Route 81 all day headed to Tennessee, and it occurred to us that we could make a podcast (or mostly, I could make a podcast and Nancy could reassure me that I could do it).
A month ago, I made a trailer for the podcast. I listened to it once, cringing the whole time. Then I played it for two friends who love me enough to be honest and tell me if it was crap and didn’t, so this week with my new resolve, I dove in.
And you know what? It was really fun. I know it’s not professional, but it’s better than I some podcasts I listen to, and I know it will get better with each episode. I’m going to wait to publish the first episode until next week, but here is the trailer if you’re curious.
So, wow, I am killing this challenge of showing my work every day. Of course, it’s only day three. But so far, so good.
How about the rest of you? Have any work to show?
Hey, thanks for reading. I know you’ve got lots of options, so thanks for sharing a few of your minutes with me.
Honored,
Cara
If you’re curious about what I’m up to, check out my website, CaraWrites.com.
If you’d like to subscribe to my (sometimes) monthly e-newsletter, click here.
And If you’re a dog lover, check out my other blog, Another Good Dog. And if you want to know what is really happening in the animal shelters in this county, visit, Who Will Let the Dogs Out.
I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, twitter, or Instagram, and I’m thrilled to get email from readers (and writers), you can reach me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.
COMING JULY 2020 from Pegasus books (available for preorder):
Available now:
Find out more about fostering dogs at AnotherGoodDog.org!
My Life in Paragraphs 