2023 was a watershed year for me. It was the best year that I’d had in a decade. The last really good year that I could remember was 2014 when I got married to my ex-wife. The day that we got married, I was full of love, happiness and incredibly enthusiastic about the future. I had a woman that I loved. My professional career seemed to be going extremely well and financially I had bailed myself out from the ruins of the worldwide fiscal crisis of 2008. What I didn’t realize was that would be the high point for a long time.
They say the first year of marriage is terrible and I can agree with that. After the euphoria of getting married had worn off, the day-to-day just dragged on my ex-wife. While I didn’t know it, she was already planning her escape. Not every year was bad. In fact, each January as I looked at the coming year, it seemed like exciting things were going to happen both professionally and personally. However, by December our lives were filled with chaos and pain. We had question marks about our relationship and professional inertia. Then came a hard divorce, followed by the Pandemic.
I also needed to sell my house and leave my chosen home city of Los Angeles and move to Atlanta, GA. The first couple of years in Atlanta were difficult. I found friends and work, but I never quite felt like I fit in here. I missed parts of the life that I’d had in California.
And then in 2023, it all seemed to come together. I wrote, directed, produced and released an award-winning short film, Love Potion. The film did not win as many awards as some of my previous films had. Yet, we took a shot for the big time and film festivals like Sundance and Tribeca. We did not get into them. Despite this, I am immensely proud of the film and feel it is my most complete movie.
I acted in five movies and appeared in five commercials. I was in two music videos, including a game-changing country western music video by Tyler Childers. In that, I portrayed a gay coal miner who fell in love with another miner. The controversy that music video created was an amazing thing to watch. I’m proud I was part of that project. I bought a condo and put down new roots. While I did not travel internationally as I usually do during a year, I found myself working as an actor in several cities. These included Baltimore, Austin, Nashville, Charleston, and Rock Hill, SC. Finally, I put the finishing touches on a book that I hope to release in 2024. Both personally and professionally, I felt more satisfied and complete than I had in a long time.
While 2023 was an amazing year, it was also a year of hard struggles, doubt, and personal reflection. One of my siblings faced a life-threatening blood disease. Thanks to the stars above, they managed to survive. With all the professional success that I had during 2023, that was without a doubt the most important thing that happened in my life. My sibling survived. Because of that situation, I took a look at my own personal life and my legacy. I realized I was closer to the end than I was to the beginning. This realization made me change my perspective on life and work.
My life has often been about the end result. Producing the product, getting the job done, and focusing on the end goal were paramount. The next job was always on my mind. However, the older I get, the more I realize it is more about the journey than it is about what you accomplish. Completing the work and making sure that the project is excellent remain extremely important. Yet, paying attention to the day-to-day journey through life is equally important. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.” In 2023, I found that to be absolutely true.
I hope 2024 will be as successful both personally and professionally. It’s already shaping up to be what looks like an interesting year. However, rarely does it happen that you have two incredible years back-to-back. I’m talking to a producer about directing a feature for them. Additionally, my film partner and I are in discussion with another producer about a project we’ve already done. They might want to take it to the next level. I’ve been hired by a local theater group to direct 2 plays for them. This includes the American classic, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, about which I’m excited. Yet, I’m trying to keep everything in perspective. I remember it’s about the journey and living in the moment.
To all of you, I wish a happy and successful 2024, and I hope your journey is exciting and fulfilling.
@ 2024, Carey On Creative, LLC., Atlanta, GA. Tripswithjames.com is a copyrighted entity of Carey On Creative, LLC.