30IN30 SERIES
Role: Writer, Editor and Producer
Timeline: 2020
Method: Web series
Location: Montreal, Canada
Duration: 27 episodes, 98 minutes total
What happens when I dedicate my entire summer to doing things that will get me out of my comfort zone? 30in30 is just that.
Inspired by Yes Theory’s Project 30, I set out to film 30 videos, in 30 days, doing 30 things I’ve never done before.
MY JOURNEY
The Goal: Make 30 videos, in 30 days, doing 30 things i’ve never done before by getting out of my comfort zone.
The Results: I made 26 videos. It took me 3 months. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
Before starting the 30in30 Series, I was stuck in this rut. I was rarely executing on my ideas and always found an excuse as to why it wasn’t the right time to go out and do what I wanted to do.
But, after reading a book called “Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown, I realized that what was stopping me from actually executing on my ideas was in fact my fear of failure. That’s when the idea hit me: If I set my ego aside, stopped caring about the outcome and simply produced a mass volume of work, with time, my creative and technical capabilities would improve because I would be learning by doing.
So, that’s how my idea for 30in30 was born. I told myself that I was going to do 30 videos, in 30 days, doing 30 things I’ve never done before. No overthinking. Just filming, editing and publishing—Repeat.
Although the ambition of the project led me to ultimately failing to accomplish the goal I set for myself, as the workload proved to be much larger than I had initially anticipated (lesson learned), I did learn a lot about storytelling, making videos, managing projects, organizing events, trusting the process and working with others along the way.
My biggest takeaway? The 30in30 Series taught me that, when starting something new, it’ll never turn out the way you envisioned it in your head. But, the more you do, the more you will learn, the more you will build on top of what you did initially, and the closer you will get to that perfect vision you have in your head.
THE MESSAGE
The message behind my videos centred around the idea of getting out of my comfort zone by facing my fears. I noticed that the 2020 pandemic had made everyone very cynical and pessimistic considering the news at the time was filled with a lot of negative storylines. 30in30 was my way of cheering people up by bringing positive and optimistic content to people’s timelines.
THE BEST OF 30IN30
I organized an event called “Dancing with Strangers” where I asked random people to join my friend and I, in the city centre of Montreal, with the goal of getting other strangers to start dancing with us. I was blown away by the generosity and enthusiasm around me. Someone even lent me a big expensive speaker for me to use in my video.
After deciding that I was finally going to face my fear of heights, I went bungee jumping and skydiving.
I was brainstorming ideas for my upcoming 30in30 episodes by asking myself: “What truly makes me uncomfortable?” Somehow, the idea of dressing up like a superhero and giving out flowers in the streets of my city popped in my head. The thought of it alone gave me social anxiety. But I also knew that it perfectly represented the spirit of 30in30. The response was incredible.
The 30in30 Series on Global News!
“A Montrealer who dressed up as Superman to give out flowers in the Old Port says he did it to spread positivity and make others smile. Kosta Kounadis joins Global’s Kim Sullivan.” You can watch the interview on the Global News website.