The Morning That Started It All
I didnβt even sleep the night before, I was too busy, waiting. It felt like one of those βthis could be the start of somethingβ moments, and I didnβt want to miss a single second of it. So, instead of sleeping, I went for a run. The sky was soft and bright, the kind of early morning that makes you feel alive again. It also happened to be the first day back at school, so a very very fresh start in every sense. It was cold too.
But this yesterday morning wasnβt just about school. It was about the Mental Health and Wellbeing Breakfast at the Victoria Point Sharks Sporting Club, which is a place I already know pretty well because Iβve been working there for months and absolutely love it. The night before, while helping set up the space, I sent a message asking if I could come along to the breakfast, without even thinking about the filming and photography part. Then came the best reply: βyes, weβd love for you to attendβ
Fast forward to the morning, while thinking after my run, I decided to just rock up with my gear, set up my camera (you can see a bit of that in the video I made), play around with my gimbal that didnβt stop shaking, and when I walked in, got a couple chats with people, then got directed to the amazing Katie Palm from The Patient Approach. She told me something that made my day already:
βWeβd love to have a videographer.β
And just like that, I was in. βLast night I was a guest, but now I get to have the chance to live up to my mottoβ¦ carrying memories, stories, and meaning beyond the frame.β
They even added my name to the screen with the event sponsors and supporters, and I got my own slide!!! Like wow, I canβt even explain how thankful I was. From there, the morning just flowed. I got to film and capture some incredible people. Including special guests, Paralympian Monique Murphy, AFLβs Jake Edwards, NRLβs Dayne Weston, and especially Katie Palm herself, all sharing real, honest, powerful stories. The room felt full of purpose, energy, and connection. And the people watching, listening and eating, was definitely in tune as you could see it.
While they shared their amazing stories, we had the chance to win some gifts, provide some bets for the Silent Auction, and donated through the Pay It Forward Fun, people came together and had the chance to talk to one another and to just acknowledge these powerful people.
Within all that, I also met Christal, a photographer from TwinLotus Production (with 12 years experience), who talked to me about the photography side of things and gave me some incredible advice for growing in this field. Overall, the people, the conversations, the whole energy, just felt right.
To top it all off, I walked away with an amazing gift bag and somehow ended up winning a painting, I called βthis guy,β through the silent auction. I had placed a bid, but in the end, I was gifted it by Patient Approach, the organisers of the event. That moment genuinely made my week. However, back onto the organisers, I just wanted to give huge thank you to Katie Palm and everyone from Patient Approach, and of course to Sharks for being such an incredible host.
That morning was the start. My first real step, my first βfield note.β It gave me so much joy and confidence to keep going, to create more, to show up. After the event, I made another short video introducing the Hour Recaps series, and to be honest, those two posts alone got so much engagement, new connections, and even more opportunities popping up.
Itβs funny how one moment, a one βyesβ, can spark something bigger than you expect.
This was the morning I truly started. And if this is where it begins, I canβt wait to see where it leads. So come and follow me to see where itsbymdc goes!
π₯ Watch the video of the morning on Facebook or Instagram on @itsbymdc
