Summary: This is Part 3 of 5 of Episode 01 of Advice from Mom. The question is: I'm a normal person with a normal job and a pretty normal life. Like many people this election season, I was motivated by fear to step out of my comfort zone and get political. I made calls for the Hillary campaign, wrote #ImWithHer letters, and even wore business-casual clothes to Las Vegas where I stood outside for 12 hours as a poll observer. The thing is, I LOVED it. I loved that feeling of working hard for something that mattered, and it was about 10x more satisfying than the sizable paycheck I get from my corporate marketing job. Now the election is over and I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to be doing... reading ALL the news, calling my local and national representatives, becoming a member of the ACLU, etc. But I feel like I'm permanently changed, and now everything in my day job seems so ridiculous and utterly meaningless. I used to think my job was fun, and that I was lucky for getting paid to be creative. Now I come home feeling disgusted with myself for wasting my brain, my time, and whatever meager semblance of talent I have left. (Yep, I'm in THAT kinda dark place.) My question is: What do I do now? How do I know if this feeling is a real sign to make a change or just a fleeting fancy of some 32-year-old with the social consciousness of a freshman at a liberal arts school? Signed, Optimistic People-Pleaser The guest in this segment is Arun Chaudhary. Arun Chaudhary is a filmmaker working in politics. He is currently a partner at REVOLUTION MESSAGING: www.revolutionmessaging.com Chaudhary was the first official White House videographer, a position created for him at the beginning of the Obama administration. Chaudhary traveled extensively with the President, capturing public events and behind-the-scenes moments as well as producing and packaging presidential tapings for the Internet and broadcast television. He is the creator and architect of “WEST WING WEEK,” the first-ever online video diary of the White House. During his tenure, he wrote, produced, shot and edited over 63 episodes of West Wing Week, documenting the President through his rigorous weekly agenda. He also directed many tapings of the Weekly Address. Chaudhary was a key member of BARACK OBAMA’S NEW MEDIA TEAM during the 2008 campaign. As the New Media Road Director, Chaudhary oversaw the team responsible for capturing the day-to-day life of the future president in video and stills. He and his team set a new standard in documenting history, delivering crucial images to the public from the road in real time. Before joining the Obama team, Chaudhary worked in film in New York and was part of the NYU GRADUATE FILM DEPARTMENT faculty. He received his MFA IN FILMMAKING FROM NYU and his BA IN FILM THEORY FROM CORNELL UNIVERSITY. Chaudhary has been profiled by the New York Times, the BBC, National Journal, Politico, Fortune, and many political websites. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, son and daughter.
