When Hearing “You Can’t” is Just What You Need
Sometimes, all it takes to ignite your fire is someone saying, “You can’t.” Their doubt can then becomek the fuel that drives you to prove them wrong.
When I was 16, I played in a local band in Little Rock. We had big dreams—get signed, tour the country, and make music our careers. In our world, there was one venue that symbolized being a true part of the local scene: Vino’s.
Vino’s was a dive bar and pizza shop, but it was legendary. When big national bands would come through town, they would still stop at Vino's, drawn by its history and intimate atmosphere.
For local bands, playing Vino’s was a rite of passage.
To be able to play here regularly, you had to perform at a Thursday night showcase called “fresh blood”and impress the promoter. If you did, you’d get invited back. Wellllll our promoter wasn't impressed.
Looking back, I can admit our band probably wasn’t that great. But I was determined to get us to the next level.
A few weeks after our showcase, I messaged her about getting on a show coming up. She didn’t sugarcoat it:
“You’re not playing here. Your band sucks.”
I was furious. I told her, “It doesn’t matter what you think. One day, we’re going to get signed, and my band is going to make it.”
Her response?
“Hahaha, your band is a joke. You’re never going to make it. lol.”
That was all I needed to hear.
For the next few years, her words fueled me. I practiced guitar relentlessly, wrote better songs, and pushed through every moment of doubt or burnout.
And five years later, my band signed a record deal. We made an album and spent the next few years touring the country. That journey eventually led me to the film industry, where I’ve built a career I never could have imagined back then. You can read more about that here.
But here’s the thing:
I don’t know if I would have made it without her telling me I couldn’t. The moment she doubted me, she sealed my fate to prove her wrong.
Doubt Is a Fork in the Road
When someone challenges your dreams, you have two choices:
Believe them and give up.
Let it piss you off and get to work.
Every time I’ve faced this kind of doubt, it’s been a turning point that pushed me to the next level. Every time it's been the thing I needed at that time to turn the corner.
Someone expressing doubts about my ability is actually what motivated this email. That tells me that no matter where we are in life, there will always be someone to naysay us and give us the opportunity to prove that we are who we say we are.
So, the next time someone tells you, “You can’t,” ask yourself: Are they sealing your fate too?
Have you ever bought a LUT pack from one of your favorite creators and just couldn't get them to look right? A lot of the time these LUTs are created to be intense because its easier to dial the effect back when color grading than it is to make the effect stronger.
That's where LUT intensity comes in. I made a video this past week on how to adjust the intensity of your LUT in both Premiere Pro and Davinci. This is a super easy way to dial back your LUTs to your taste, combine multiple LUTs and styles together, and have more overall control over your final look.
LUTs are tricky because they are designed to give you a specific look, while at the same time have to be usable in a variety of scenarios to be useful.
My Cinematic LUTs are what I use to colorgrade a lot of my work. Always remember LUTs are just the finishing "Look" aspect of your grade. You still need to adjust your exposure, white balance, and contrast (since these will be different everytime) according to your scene before applying the Look LUT. Use intensity to dial the effect to taste.
The past two weeks have been a doozy.
I got promoted to Purple Belt in Jiujitsu! (more on that soon)
I flew to Atlanta to start the drive to Arkansas for the Holidays.
I spent 14 hours in the ER after my leg randomly swelled up, only to walk out after being discharged and find my car had been broken into. Fun times.
Bought a new window for my car (naturally)
Drove to meet my girlfriend in Arkansas to go to my parent's for the first leg of our holiday travels.
It's busy.
I hope you're getting some rest and enjoying some downtime and as always..
I hope this helps.
Caleb
