We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Colter Olmstead. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Colter below.

Colter, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Being a small business owner/your own boss comes with pros and cons. It’s awesome to have the freedom to work the hours you want, but it’s also tough sometimes because I have to constantly be looking at the horizon and what jobs I can try to get in the next 3 months. I’ve had a desk job and that’s nice and comfortable, but I think that I prefer the uncomfortable situations sometimes because that’s where real problem solving and growth comes from, especially from an artistic standpoint.

The last time I really questioned going back to the regular job world was during the heart of the pandemic in 2020. All freelance jobs disappeared instantly and I didn’t work for nearly two months, but luckily because I had some contacts that were taking that time to work on personal projects or side projects, that gave them the time to work on it, thus gave me the opportunity to get some work in the process and help other creatives at the same time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started by going to film school at Montana State University and graduated in 2015. From there, I was able to start working full time free lance right away doing a lot of location and post sound work, mostly documentary and commercial. As time passed, I was able to get into a good position where I could be more choosy on the types of jobs I took and focused more on projects that directly helped the community I was in, rather than straight commercial work. I’m extremely fortunate to be able to continue this type of work, creating documentary and awareness film work for local community organizations focusing on things such as education, mental health, climate, and activism projects.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think at this point in my career, I’ve been able to work in almost every area of the film world, and been fortunate enough to find the area I feel I can be the biggest asset in, and help my community with the tools I’ve been able to gain through my film career. Where I’m at now, my biggest goal is to continue to help my community, as well as trying to teach and build my community even more. I’ve been able to start with some teaching of middle and high school film classes in the summer and if I can help spark interest in the youth and help them any way I can pursue that interest, that would be a huge goal for me.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The artist side of me is always extremely picky with all projects I create, I think everyone is most critical of their own art. But the most rewarding aspect of that is being able to step back and appreciate when someone comments on your work, the fact that someone took the time out of their day to appreciate something you worked on to the point where they wanted to let you know is a big thing in my book. As creatives, we put a lot of time and effort into creation so I appreciate any time someone is kind enough to congratulate your work.

Contact Info:

• Website: colterolmstead.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colterolmstead/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colterolmsteadfilm
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colterolmstead/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/colterolmstead
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/theskinnyfilmer

Image Credits
@teasea23, @gvisuals1, @montana.mojo.photo