We had the good fortune of connecting with Julia Editz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia “Editz”, how do you think about risk?
I think the first thing that pops into people’s heads when they hear the word risk is: “danger”. It’s almost always seen as a bad thing – ‘this venture has risks’. That’s “risky”, you shouldn’t do that.

I tend to think about risk as: there is something huge in front of me to gain. And of course, none of the miraculous things in life are going to come without the risk! There’s a quote I love that I’ve seen circulating around Facebook, that asks, in contrast to “what if it all goes terribly wrong”, — “What if it all goes right?”.

Being a freelance video-editor, my whole career is seen as a risk. In terms of filmmaking, the film industry is a “risky” business: “what if you don’t break into the industry? It’s very competitive”, and with freelancing, I always heard: “what if you don’t get enough gigs to pay rent? How will you ever know when your next job is”?

The only risk that registered in my mind was: “What if I take some “safe”, full-time job, never have time to see my friends/family, and waste my time doing something I hate?”. I’d way rather lose sleep worrying about paying bills while doing what I love, then dread getting up in the morning for a secure job.

What better time to take a risk than when things don’t go as planned? I was a college student when the pandemic hit the US, and I graduated in June 2020 while coronavirus had the US in shambles. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life was moving into a new place by myself in Central LA, no jobs lined up yet, and starting my career all in the middle of a global pandemic, where film production had all but ceased. It felt like everyone around me was either holding their breath, silently calling me crazy, or wondering what I had done to deserve entering the “real world” and my desired industry in a time like this.

But as the quote I love so much posed the question, “what if…everything goes right?”… Due to the virus, and all school being shifted online, this led to a surplus of educational content taking the form of video — and what a perfect time for a young freelance-editor to come in. As is all freelancing, the first couple months were a bit patchy in terms of gigs, but before I knew it, it snowballed into dozens of videos for top universities, healthcare providers, small businesses, youtube channels, and much, much more.

Because I went out on a limb to freelance, I’m able to create my own schedule, work from anywhere in the world, see my family & friends as often as I want and do what I love every day. And all I can say to you is it is worth it a thousand times over. For yourself, for the people you love. I definitely couldn’t have done it without the love and support of my family, friends, old roommates, co-workers and my community back home.

It is so incredibly important to understand that you are the only person responsible for making things happen. You can either be your own biggest obstacle or a limitless risk-taking powerhouse. It’s all up to you; if you’re willing to spend endless hours investing in your dream lifestyle, dedicated to making it work no matter what, you will achieve what you set out to do. And if you don’t, get up and try again! Because just as much as the term “risk” scares you with the possibility of something to lose, it should exhilarate you with the opportunity of something to gain.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been making films since the age of 10, and I think what I’m most proud of is my ability to follow through in my dreams, no matter how far-fetched or time-consuming. In no way was it easy, but none of the rewarding things in life are. It was a decade-plus long plan, with multiple steps, but I can proudly say I’m where I want to be right now, and I’m looking forward to crushing more goals in the future. Music was a huge part of helping me overcome the challenges in my journey, and pushing through each step in the plan. From starting college in 10th grade to tirelessly entering scholarships to fund my film school education, to working and saving for a place of my own, moving during a pandemic, music has always given me the strength to see the goal ahead and push through. I’ve learned many lessons along the way, but I think one of the most important ones is to live without fear. We don’t have a second life, and there may not be a second chance out there, so what ever you want to do, do it with all of your might! I think that is what I want the world to know about my brand and my story – that I charged forth without fear even if I couldn’t see what was on the road ahead. This is of course, a song reference to the music I love so much as mentioned above. “Close your eyes, we’re gonna run this blind! We live our lives…we’re not wasting time”. -Foster The People.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Funny enough, one of my best friends was just here about a month ago, so we did a good number of the things below! I’d say the first stop would have to be Spl. Coffee, it is a wonderful little café with the tastiest coffee I have ever consumed. Then after being caffeinated, we’d peruse the Silver Lake Farmer’s market. Start off the morning with something pretty chill and relaxing. After that, let’s get lunch at Monty’s Good Burger and eat it at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery! It’s so peaceful and beautiful there – running water, turtles, peacocks, ducks, you name it! Another fun thing to do is to check out the Los Angeles State Historic Park – it’s got some of my favorite views of downtown, and it’s perfect for a little picnic. Oh! And you definitely have to try Cafe Giverny – it is such a peaceful place that just exudes good vibes. The food, drink and customer service are exquisite!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my family, friends, roommates, teachers, co-workers, and community.

Website: https://juliaeditz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliadirectz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliaeditz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaEditz/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/juliaeditz

Image Credits
Hannah J Brock, Carlos Castañeda

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