“Don’t bite the hand that feeds,” my late grandmother used to say. But perhaps the modern twist is, “Don’t blindly listen to the hand that points.”
There’s a lot of advice out there, much of it unsolicited, especially for young people who are curious, ambitious, and trying to figure out their path. And let’s be honest, some of that advice is well-meaning, but much of it is rooted in fear, cynicism, or simply a lack of imagination.
No one can predict the future. Not your friend, not your teacher, not even the so-called experts. And the truth is, the only person who can decide if something is worth pursuing is you.
If you’re deeply curious about something, if the thought of diving in lights a fire in you and you’re willing to put in the work, the outcome matters less than the journey. Whether it becomes a three-year stint or a twenty-year career, you’ll be able to look back and see the impact you made on others, and the growth you experienced within yourself.
No one asked Andrew Zeller to make the video I’m sharing with you today. He poured in his own time, his own effort, his own resources because he wanted to create something fun. Something that could help others communicate what visual effects are, and why they matter.
This is what curiosity and passion can do. They inspire. They build. They ripple outward, touching lives in ways that go far beyond the work itself. And discouraging that kind of spark? It serves no one. You gain nothing from telling a young person their dream isn’t worth it.
I’ve always believed that discouraging young people gains you nothing. It’s easy to point out the difficulties, to play the realist, or to tell someone, “It’s not worth it.” But that kind of negativity doesn’t inspire, it doesn’t solve, and it certainly doesn’t create. What it does is sow doubt where there could have been courage, curiosity, and exploration.
For those who are considering a path, whether it’s VFX, writing, teaching, or anything else, the most honest advice I can offer is this: 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂. The path might be difficult, but every step will teach you something. Even if things don’t turn out as expected, the path is still yours. Who you become along the way is the real reason for taking it.
And if you ever find yourself offering advice, remember this: the world doesn’t need more voices telling young people what they can’t or shouldn’t do. It needs voices lifting them up, challenging them to think bigger, and supporting their curiosity.
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