We are really falling in love with this city. It’s hard to blog when you only want to go back in to the city to explore more! We’ve been in Central Park, 5th Avenue, Brooklyn (Dumbo), WTC / Freedom tower, Times Square and much more. This city is crazy!! We mean that in the best possible way, we have just 3 more days in this city and we are going to enjoy every minute of it.
So what have we been up to relating to “The Life-Light”!? Well this last sunday we met up with the one and only Dan Difelice! If you don’t know him or his work, you should definitely check it out!
We planned to go first to Hillsong NYC and since Dan would also be there we could meet up after the service and go get some lunch together! It was daylight savings so for us it was a pretty early morning to get on time at the Hillsong service at 12PM (I know it’s really bad, we’re both not morning persons). Either way, we had a blast at the service! It’s fun to be around so many enthusiastic passionate young people.
After the service we met up with Dan outside at 2PM and he took us to a small local cafe “The Grey Dog”. It was pretty overcrowded and we had to wait in line for 10-15 minutes before we could order and get a table. But the vibe was super nice and the food was amazing!
Back to the meeting; we talked a bit about the project, our travel itinerary and some projects he is working on right now. We talked about the work ethic over here in NYC, the passion we share for the craft and the fact we all want to surround ourselves with people who also have that passion! We talked about challenges/hurdles, the creative process, collaborations and much more. Dan actually studied finance and learned the craft by just doing it. Dan told us a little bit about his work methods, he said when he thinks he can’t do a job right now with the experience and knowledge he has, he wants to do it! There is no growth in comfort!
Wow! That’s a pretty big statement if you think about it, but oh so true. He isn’t afraid to take some risk. Better yet, he thinks it’s necessary to take risks and put yourself out there. OK, maybe you should lower your rate sometimes to get the job, but you should first focus on the things you want to do, then you look at the money. “Some projects are awesome for your reel and some are good for your wallet. If you find a project that’s good for both you got the jackpot!”.
It’s inspirational to see and talk to someone with a passion like Dan. He truly is an artist and an example for many (at least for us) in his work method.
We talked a bit more about ‘The Life-Light’ project and the fact we’re breaking out of the convenience of social media and actually go out to meet the people who inspire us. It’s all about get inspired and be inspiring. Share the inspiration with others and daring to put yourself out there, vulnerable without thinking about your ‘image’. Dan said he didn’t reached the place he’s in right now without the help of others, we also need others to learn and grow.
Before we knew it, it was already past 4PM and we decided to go outside and take a quick picture of the three of us on Union Square. Sometimes you talk to guys about their work, and sometimes you talk to guys like Dan you also connect with on a more personal level. Dan, it was great to meet up and talk with you and I hope the future holds some nice collaborations! We’ll keep in touch!
– Best, Jordi & Daan
