Recap

...so what now?

As some of you know, by day I’m a content marketer.

My brain is always churning out growth strategies and interpreting the mysterious platform algorithms like tea leaves in a cup. One Word began as my little cabin in the woods where I could write about anything I wanted and follow my thoughts freely, with zero consideration for the SERP or SEO or Metrics.

Last September, I had one goal: write One Word once a month for twelve months. Then, about five months into the project, I had another goal: tell my father’s story.

I accomplished both.

The strange thing about accomplishing goals is that, once they’re in the rear-view mirror, the path ahead can seem endless. Lately, I can’t help but think… what’s next?

I’m starting to see the goals ahead. Before I share them with you, some updates.

I was on a Podcast

A few weeks ago a friend of mine, Angie Theva, released an interview with me on her platform, The Honey Lemon Podcast.

We recorded the interview in August. At the time, I was in the early stages of writing Woodbine. I hadn’t filmed any of the footage yet, and even the concept for the documentary was just a few old VHS tapes and a feeling.

I cherish the interview and have had a lot of incredible feedback from close family and friends. I talk about what I hoped to achieve with Woodbine, my thoughts on creativity, and a lot more.

Angie captured a special moment and that’s a testament to her talents. She’s an intelligent and empathetic interviewer. I really hope you give it a listen:

Hot Docs + One Word

I’m entering Woodbine into one of the world’s top documentary festivals, Hot Docs. To appease admissions, I must take the film offline. So if you want to watch or share Woodbine, please do so by November 13th:

Woodbine

My original goal was to make a super cut of all the One Word films from 2023, but most film festivals have strict premiere rules for feature-length films. So I abandoned that idea.

I like this idea more. I’m very proud of Woodbine, and I’m interested to see if it’s something a festival jury would appreciate.

I won’t know if Hot Docs accepts Woodbine until early 2024. But once I know, I’ll let you know, too. Fingers crossed.

Introducing…

Formerly known as Off Season, Works will be my on and off again audio interview series where I showcase one work of art and talk to the artist behind it. We’ll explore the work itself, artistic process, and how my guests understand what they do in the larger context of their lives, community, and the Internet.

I have two goals with Works:

1. To share the work of other artists and offer them a space to talk about what they do.

2. To deepen my understanding of art and use that knowledge in an upcoming One Word documentary. More on this later.

I’ll release episodes of Works right here, so you don’t have to do anything to receive the latest episode.

If you write, draw, film, sing, sculpt or do anything else you consider art, get in touch. Don’t stress about timelines; I’m not going anywhere. We can find a date that works for you.

Email me here: 1wordnewsletter@gmail.com

Expect the first episode of Works sometime before the end of 2023.

One Word, Year 1 Recap

I can’t write a recap piece without mentioning where we’ve been. Here’s the full list of words from my first year and a short synopsis for each.

Stone: I begin the project by considering the mundane power of stones and how I grew to appreciate them as a teenager; I conjure my first images of dad.

Green: The strangest colour I know is the focus of this essay. I also review a favourite film of mine, The Green Knight.

Aliens: At the cross-section of ET: The Extra Terrestrial, my brother and my wife, I discover a potent truth that helps me move forward.

Chicken: I share a few stories on my love of cooking and how a dry chicken breast ushered in the last chapter of my father’s life.

Futures: An ode to a special cafe in Toronto, some thoughts about my life in the city after dad died, plus I attempt my first interview with the ambient music artist Kilometre Club.

Path: I get lost in Toronto’s PATH system and gather evidence for the enlightening idea that we are all on a spiral path leading to greater and greater knowledge - the evidence for this is all around me.

Video: My first film. I talk about the power of video, interview a video rental store owner, and visit an abandoned Blockbuster in Owen Sound.

Dada: I explore my daughter’s first word, meet with a bird expert, and consider what it means to me to be a father.

Home: I explore the etymological strings that make up the word Home, Toronto’s housing crisis, an antique dealer in Caledonia, and I end by bringing to dad’s ashes home.

Names: I interview my wife and my best friend while thinking about the names I go by and the names that remind me of where I’ve been, where I’m going.

Path, remastered: A video version of my written essay Path.

Woodbine: A 40-minute documentary on my father’s life and the effects of his death on his family. I discover a hole in the backyard and write him a letter saying goodbye.

So Now What? One Word, Year 2

In my first year, I learned a lot. Trying something new each word wasn’t just a fun thing to do — it was a rule. I will continue this practice in year two.

As I look back at the 12 words I made, I’m proud of myself. I accomplished more than I expected and discovered a new medium to illuminate my experiences. And by my 12th word, I made a film that I can point to and say: This is my craft, my art.

The goal of year one crystallized into exploring my relationship with grief and now in the position I had hoped to be but couldn’t imagine reaching: I can create a One Word film about anything I want.

I’m still adjusting to this new reality. I did not expect to feel unmoored, but I do. I feel the overwhelming crunch of possibility, and I’m very aware — I sense it like a smell — that it’s my responsibility to choose the path forward.

This is what I know so far:

I’m making a 90 minute feature documentary in 2024.

It’d be an incredible experience if the Hot Docs festival accepted Woodbine. The motivation I have to prep the film for Hot Docs has inspired me to work on a feature length film and submit it to festivals in autumn, 2024.

I also crave a new challenge. Woodbine was 40 minutes long and took me three months. What could I create with 90 minutes of time and eight months of work?

The project is still in its infancy, but my goal is to explore the meaning of Art and Content and the many ways creative people, including myself, feel caught between both.

Most film festivals require feature length documentaries to have never been screened online or in-person. If I pursue this goal, then a large part of my work next year won’t be published in this newsletter.

Which brings me to the next point:

One Word documentaries are no longer once a month.

If my goal in 2024 was more subscribers, followers, comments and likes, then I would publish more. When I make a film, I would focus on timely news and events and trending keywords.

But that’s not my goal. One Word is my cabin in the woods away from all that stuff.

My goal is to ensure the words I make impact my life, family, and community. What I make is for my daughter and her children and beyond that — into the unclear but spectacular light of what could happen if I succeed.

With One Word, I’m aiming towards a future I cannot see, but I can feel it. My limitation isn’t time or effort or talent; it’s my belief in the purpose of the project and my imagination to make it possible.

Somewhere in the few paragraphs above is my theme for the films to come. I haven’t been able to write it succinctly just yet. I pray the work I’m doing now will clarify the goal.

What I do know is this:

I have no schedule to give you. I will still be sitting at my desk every morning writing; my camera will never leave my side.

This newsletter is the space I share some my films, my conversations with other artists, my thoughts, and updates on upcoming projects. I imagine the cadence will still be once month, but I’m not holding myself to that schedule.

I also believe that sending my short docs to you inspired me to make the next one. What effected me the most were the emails and private messages from people who told me to keep going, keep pushing myself, because they loved what I made.

Next year, I don’t want to completely ignore that font of inspiration. I’ll still make a few short documentaries in 2024.

Next year may look something like this:

• 1x 90 minute film, sent to film festivals

• 3x 20 minute films, sent through the newsletter

• 10x Works interviews, sent through the newsletter

One Word is a lifetime project.

After my first year, I know one thing for certain: I’m making One Word films for the rest of my life.

I’m 37 years old. Behind me I can see the graveyard of dead ideas I once thought would be my thing. Perhaps digging so many graves has given me the fortitude to know that One Word is different.

With this project, I know every word matters. Each film brings me closer to the artist within. I channel emotion that could only be express through creativity. I deepen my appreciation for my life. I help the people closest to me. I change my reality.

In the end, One Word will be a gift to my children and family, a way for them to know me and my experiences better than I knew my father. It’s impossible to understand how powerful my words will be to them when I’m gone, but I have a sense it is so much more than I can ever imagine.

I pray this project lasts my lifetime. I pray that, as I continue to make films, I learn how to be a stronger storyteller each time, so that the final and most accomplished word I craft is the one just before my death.

Does this sound crazy? I think it does.

But I also believe in the idea with all my heart. I can’t imagine spending my time on anything else. I don’t know where this path will take me; I must be patient and do the work.

Most of all, I must have faith in the artist within to guide me. They know more than I will ever know. I’m just their advocate.

Thank you for all the support and time you have spent watching and reading my work. I hope you continue to join me along this journey.

- T