We were lucky to catch up with James Bearhart recently and have shared our conversation below.

James, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

I am a full-time designer and, during the pandemic, decided to apply to film school – a dream I have had for decades. A few months after completing my MFA at the American Film Institute, I earned my first dollar as a filmmaker when the school hired me to write a thesis script for one of their directing students. Soon after, I took up other paid writing projects for different schools, such as the New York Film Academy. The money is reinvested in making my short films and features, and though the money isn’t significant, I am incredibly proud to be paid as an artist and to have turned a dream into reality.

James, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

James, or Séamus in his native Irish, is an independent filmmaker, Sloan Fellow, and recent graduate of AFI. His directorial debut has won several awards, and most recently, he was awarded the prestigious SFFilm Development Grant.

He is currently working on his first feature and developing a musical for the West End, which is scheduled for late 2024.

Before AFI, he has been a creative director and designer for companies such as Fox Television, COMCAST NBC, Google, and ABC

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I applied to film schools in 2018, I got in to both AFI and Columbia, but unfortunately could not make it work financially. I decided not to go at that time, which was incredibly difficult as it had been a dream of mine for a long time. In the interim few months, I made my own work, learning as much as I could. AFI encouraged me to apply again and I did so, entering the Screenwriting program.

The lessons I had learned from the previous year in choosing not to go served me very well. I applied to scholarships early before even receiving an acceptance letter. When I was accepted I had lined up scholarships that covered 75% of the tuition.

I then worked hard during the MFA to cover the remaining 25% by winning grants and prizes for my writing. By the time I graduated, I had no loans or personal debts. This was very important to me as I didn’t want the pressure of financial stress to cloud my creative process – it is important to me to create out of art, not because I need to earn money from it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was to seek permission before creating. This comes from my experience as an immigrant to the States and being dependent on others for very real issues – visa, financial stability, etc.

During my MFA, other students would place themselves in positions of expertise, which hit a specific vulnerability within me.

After receiving success in my writing and short films, I learned that waiting for permission to create art is the greatest threat to any artist.

I protect my filmmaking art from these types of insecurities. My perspective on my work is that I succeed if I am making art (regardless of how good or bad it is).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamesbearhart.com
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbearhart

Image Credits
Stills from, in order: ‘Kokoro’ “Woman’s best friend’ “Glutton for Punishment’