Two Things in One

Back in 1968, the makers of Certs mints—then owned by American Chicle (a division of Warner-Lambert)—ran a famous ad campaign featuring two women debating whether Certs was a breath mint or a candy mint. “Stop! You’re both right!” the announcer declared. “Certs! Two things in one!”

I see myself that way—not as a breath mint, thankfully, but as someone with two distinct yet complementary talents: photography/videography and writing. Each discipline enhances the other, enriching my creative output in ways I never imagined when I was young. When I write, I think in images—composition, light—the way a scene might unfold visually. When I film, I do it with a narrator’s eye, considering pacing, subtext, and the underlying story. The result? My videos have the depth of essays, and my writing becomes vivid, like a consciously composed shot.

It’s not easy. There are challenges to being two things in one. Inspiration doesn’t always strike in harmony. Sometimes, mid-sentence, my mind drifts to a shot I need to set up, a visual metaphor I want to capture. Other times, when I’m behind the camera, I’m mentally drafting an article instead of focusing on the scene before me. The workload feels doubled, my attention divided. Some days I wish I could split myself in two—one side lost in words, the other emeshed in visuals—just to keep up with creative demands.

It all works out. I’ve learned to live with it. Over time, I’ve learned to appreciate how these dual callings sharpen my perspective. Filming like a writer forces me to think critically about narrative; writing like a photographer compels me to show, not just tell. The tension between the two isn’t the flaw I thought it was—it’s a creative engine. And while I may never fully resolve its push-and-pull, I think I’ve managed to produce fairly good results.

Breath mint and candy mint. Two things in one.