When Love Turns Into Labor

By Néya Sridhar

I am starting to not like the things that I love. 

Let me explain. 

Being a sophomore in college now, I have been pondering on the limits my future holds. I feel as though my passions are dying. The burnt-out feeling has been hitting harder than ever. My classes are tedious, and my creativity is fizzing out. 

What they say is true; pursuing your dreams can be hard. 

I don’t want to believe it though. At times like this, it is important to look back on why I decided to pursue my passions in the first place.

Picture sourced from Pinterest

My motivation to study film, television, and journalism comes from the hope that one day, I feel fulfilled and get to understand the media that I consume. 

Media has the power to transform, inform, and inculcate its audience. My life has been altered after watching movies and binging shows. Growing up, I thought that maybe one day I would also have a best friend who is quirky like Spongebob, or maybe I’d meet a vampire and fall in love like Bella Swan. I yearned for fictional stories and characters to be a part of my reality. The powerful influence that media had on me did not just stop there. 

Although I was a hopeless daydreamer, watching shows ranging in all different genres has taught me survival techniques for many scenarios. Ted Lasso enlightened me on how there is no “I” in ‘Team’; Wandavision educated me that grief is just love persevering; Only Murders In The Building prepared me to always be ten steps ahead; The Great British Baking Show taught me the importance of patience and precision; and Friends showed me the meaning of true friendship.

Picture sourced from Pinterest

I can see myself in all the films and TV shows I've seen. 

My values and my day-to-day life relate heavily to film and media that I have consumed. Studying it has, and will further help me relate to it, thus leading me to understand myself as a person better and hopefully help others do the same. 

But that’s not all. Why is it that I want to MAKE something, not just study it? 

When creating content, such as making a comedic iMovie video with my friends, posting a silly TikTok, or writing this very article; the final product has never been the most rewarding. I find that my love and passion are rooted in the in-between rather than at the end.

I had the most fun giggling with my friends while making the iMovie; while figuring out the dance with my roommate before posting the TikTok; and while asking my fellow journalism classmate to proofread this article. 

Doing the things that I love have no meaning unless I’m sharing it with the people I love most.

Picture sourced from Pinterest

I hope that one day, I can create some sort of media that affects someone the same way it affected me. 

The joy that my future holds is stronger than the frustration my present is providing me.

Although my 101 classes are boring, although my schedule seems overwhelming, and although my future seems up in the air; reminding myself that my passions are shared amongst the people I care about the most makes me feel not alone. 

Picture sourced from Pinterest

It’s easy to feel lost when the things we once loved start to feel like chores, but this doesn’t mean those passions are lost. It’s in the moments of connection; laughing with friends, collaborating with classmates, and relating to characters, that the meaning of those passions is reignited. 

Don’t stop believing in your dreams. The journey may be challenging, but the love we pour into it, the impact it has on us, and the people who share it with us, make it all worthwhile. 

Picture sourced from Pinterest

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