06 Oct Vlog #23: RIP Steve Jobs

I decided to take the time to write this blog about Steve Jobs because of how much respect I have for this man. Rarely have I been affected by the death of someone who I did not know personally, like I have by that of Steve Jobs’s. I suppose if I think about it some more, I do know him personally. There is not a day that I go without using something that this brilliant man created. Steve Jobs is a technological innovator. He is also a significant figure in the film and entertainment world. He transformed the way the public accesses music, movies, and art. He showed the world that beauty can be combined with utility. I had always been a PC user before I became a filmmaker. I did use Apple as a little kid in grade school, playing basic text based “Hitchhiking” games, but I was not a devoted Apple user until I first experienced one, editing my first documentary at Rice University. For me, using his products was about an experience. From the monitor to the keyboard, to the actual interface… everything was art. Apple was not just a tool, it was a piece of furniture, it was your friend, it helped to define who I was. Crazy. I know.

Steve Jobs is one my biggest role models. The biggest lesson he taught me was to love what I do and to pursue what I love to do. I live by that standard every day. So many people are driven by practicality. There is nothing wrong with that at all (I did it for many years), but it is very easy to lose that hunger and drive for life. In a Stanford commencement speech, Steve Jobs said, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” I truly believe that at some point in life, everyone needs to experience something that they want, hunger for, or are passionate about, in order to have truly lived life. There is nothing compared to going after something you believe in, working for something you love, accomplishing milestones, failing, and trying again to get to that goal/goals. Because I am struggling to do this every day, I feel very connected to Mr. Jobs in his pursuit of doing what he loved to do.

I am so blessed to have been able to see and experience all the gifts that you have given this world, Steve Jobs. Thank you for showing us that you can succeed doing what you love to do. Thank you for changing the world.