2022 Year in Review
Happy new year! 2022 was one hell of a year in a variety of ways, and this post is my attempt to summarize a year full of surprises, changes, and growth.
To start, I want to say thank you to anyone I worked with in the past 12 months. 2022 was my second full year of running my own business, and everyday I feel lucky to be able to consider this life-long dream of mine a reality. I appreciate all the comments, the shares, and the connections you’ve sent my way, and I don’t know how I could ever thank you for the growth you’ve helped inspire.
So, let’s take a look at the numbers. In total, I had 23 corporate clients including the addition of 13 new accounts. I’m pretty happy with those numbers! Between corporate work and seven weddings spread throughout the year, some work was getting done. At the end of the day, they say you don’t do it for the money (although it certainly helps), but seeing a 113% increase in earnings over the year is definitely exciting. Website visits also ticked up significantly, so all those comments, shares, and connections I mentioned are coming in handy—thank you, again!
With that said, let’s dive in! Here’s a list of my favorite and most memorable moments from 2022.
UnityPoint Health Young Minds Project Announcement
In March, a video I edited for UnityPoint Health Central Illinois debuted to the public along with the announcement of a new youth mental health facility coming to the Peoria area. This moment was a bit surreal for me, sharing a piece that I worked very hard on with a variety of public figures. I can’t forget to mention Moss, LLC and Raphael Rodolfi of Videogenique for bringing me on to assist with the project—I’m thankful for the opportunity.
The Young Minds Project will bring new mental health resources to youth in Peoria and beyond. Click here to read my blog post about the press conference.
First Wedding in Chicago
April took me to Chicago to film my first wedding in the Windy City! Chicago will always have a special place in my heart, so being able to be back in the city as a full-time creative was special. Plus, Adam and Allison’s wedding was amazing! Starting on a rooftop in the West Loop, filming downtown, and then completing the night at Bottom Lounge is a dream come true. Shout out here to Madeline at Greater Joy Events for connecting me with the couple, and a bunch more throughout the year. Thanks, Madeline!
Photographing the University of Iowa for The Hechinger Report
In May, I was able to return to my photojournalism roots for an assignment in Iowa City for The Hechinger Report. To be honest, when I got the email asking if I was available, I was a bit nervous after being relatively quiet in that field for a while. Turns out that those skills I learned while at the Columbia Chronicle would prove to be useful for a long time after graduation. Stay in school, kids! Another shout out here to my friend Camilla Forte, Web and Photo Producer for Hechinger, who got in touch with me. Appreciate you!
Click here to see the story by Kelly Field on Dr. Kelly Clougher and her colleagues who work in the counseling office at the University of Iowa.
East Peoria High School Football Video
This might be the piece that made the biggest splash this year. I reached out to Coach Dustin Jefferson at East Peoria in hopes of making a quick promotional piece for the football team, and what we ended up with was so much more than that. Seeing the players, parents, and students get excited about the video was incredible to see, and having it play on the video board before their homecoming game was extra special. Thanks for the opportunity, Coach Jefferson!
That’s all I’ve got for now! As you can see, 2022 had me flexing lots of creative muscles, and it’s helped me develop exponentially as an artist and entrepreneur. I’ll have more fun stuff to share later on regarding plans for the year ahead.
Once again, thank you.
- Mike
