Red Balloon Magazine.

Like many people from my era, The Red Balloon was a film I first saw as a child and for some reason made a huge impact on my 8 year old self. Made in 1956 it concerns a small boy living in Paris who finds a magical balloon. It is a beautiful story, just 34 minutes long, with its Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay, the film is (as of 2013) the only short film to win an Academy Award outside of the short film categories. It is a masterpiece in short story telling and with hardly any dialogue.

There are many reviews for this film of course, including some describing it as a comedy-drama, which I suppose in very small part it is. However, for me it is about wonder, hope, despair and resurrection.

I think these emotions sum up the work of the writer or artist; whilst you are in the process of creating you are full of wonder and hope that your work will be appreciated by the world at large. Then there is despair as you find your readers don't seem to agree with your own belief, that your work is a masterpiece, or at the very least, some of your best work to-date! But, as with all who spend their lives creating; rejection is commonplace and you have to pick yourself up and try again and each time you do, you hone your skills, you learn what it is your reader really wants and crucially, what they don't!

Then, the magic happens, your readers will start to enthuse about your work, to comment on it and this gives you the reinforcement you need, to know you're on the right track. Of course there will always be trail blazers such as JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and George RR Martin. But to start your writing career, especially if you want to earn an income from it now and not in 6 years time; you need to get published fast! Learn to Write in 30 Days and get Published Fast, will teach you these skills.

Red Balloon Magazine is just one of the publications I've produced over the years, it represents a culmination of years of entrepreneurial and personal hope, despair and resurrection. I believe that the spirit of an entrepreneur and writer is closely linked, nowadays in order for writers to stand a chance of getting their books published, they must become their own publicist and marketing expert until such time they can afford to outsource these tasks, or your books become runaway successes.

If you want to see a clip of the film, Red Balloon, this video by The New York Times gives an intelligent review.

I also couldn't end this post without giving a shout-out to my brilliant and talented nephew, William Knight, who very kindly designed the Red Balloon magazine cover for me. William has inherited the family entrepreneurial and artistic gene and has his own Etsy shop where he sells his line drawings.

#redballoonmagazine #redballoonfilm