Last Month Was Crazy, Here Were The Big Highlights | March Newsletter

I knew March was going to stretch me far outside of my comfort zone. I had a film festival/road trip the first week, and later on, another smaller adventure with 5 of my siblings. I was nervous and had prepared by strategically not thinking about either event till the very last minute possible.

A truly brilliant strategy.

Yet, little did I know what blessings would come from stepping into the unknown. This past month I've learned that new situations might not be as bad as I've made them out to be. Could adventure even be good for you? Surely not – that goes against my core value of sticking to the game plan. Right?

In hindsight, the places I went, the people I met, and the adventures I've embarked on over March have all given me a deeper faith and greater gratitude for the life I've been given to live. Though the journey may not be what I thought it would be at one point, I am constantly overwhelmed by how good God has been.

So without further yapping... welcome to my second-ever WW Studios Monthly Production Update. I'm glad you made it:)

March 2025 Highlights:

• First Solo Road Trip: If you told me a year ago that I'd drive myself to Georgia and back home to Illinois alone, I would have laughed at you unapologetically. Yet, in March that happened. And what's more, I enjoyed every second of it. (Minus that singularly fateful encounter with a turkey by the side of the road. RIP oh wild Thanksgiving bird. 😬)
• CWVFF Film Festival: You may have asked yourself, "Joshua! Why in the world did you drive 14 hours to Georgia?" I would grinningly reply. "Because I can!" No. HAHA. As the bold text suggests, I attended the Christian Worldview Film Festival (CWVFF). Highlights of the festival include:
  • Networking: I met SO MANY PEOPLE! Even though I'm an introvert I still had lots of fun and have lots of new memories to give me 20-year-olds nostalgia lol.
  • Awards: I got to watch a few of my friends win awards. Shout out to Mark Nelson who won the 48-hour short film contest and Sebastian Talley who won (I think) 3 awards which was SO awesome lol. Congrats, bro.
  • Filming: Though I failed to film enough footage to create a full vlog (I did my best to live in the moment for a change) I ended up filming interviews for John Grooters who was one of the speakers. Very unique situation haha. Once again a fun memory that will make a great story for my kids one day.
• Forrest Frank Concert: My Grandparents generously got us tickets to see Forrest Frank for Christmas. The concert happened on the 29th and it was AWESOME. More on what made it so special later.
• WW Studios Music: Kadin and I are working together on planning a few new projects. The plan is to record his take on a handful of classic hymns over the next few weeks and drop an album this summer. We shall see - you gotta stay tuned!

First Solo Road Trip

I can't believe I did it. And I don't say that proudly—I'm ashamed. Honestly, I surprised myself by getting in the car and not turning around after 30 minutes. Of course, I told everyone that I was good with going, but part of me couldn't envision myself actually on the road hundreds of miles from home. My tiny brain didn't have enough RAM to load that part of the map yet. It was just out of the picture.

Part of it was fear. For most of my life, I've lived under a thick heavy fog. Thankfully, over the years, it's slowly lifted. There was a time when my social anxiety wouldn't let me walk out the front door without physical abdominal pain. It was bad, and I'm fully cognizant of the fact that it truly is only by the grace of God that I have been freed.

I'd say going on this trip was like putting a final nail in the lid of that coffin.

Before I started down the road, the reality of my situation had never fully sunk in.

I wasn't a kid anymore.

Wow. I had known that before, but living it was different. Beforehand I knew that if I really wanted to, I could go and order a truckload of Candy Corn and live on it for 3 months. I was 20 years old. Nobody could stop me. That would be that. [No Mom, that's not a threat.]

But as I drove down our rural Illinois country road and took in the familiar scenery it just felt different. I had seen it a thousand times before, but this time... In fact, I didn't just feel like it was different. It was different.

At first, it was just a subtle, a slight glint of adventure that I didn't know I had in me peeking its head above the clouds. Then with every mile I drove further south, it grew. For the first time... maybe ever, a haze dissipated. A heightened sense of expectation was kindled. A fire stoked. I did a double take as to where I was and what I was doing – driving to Georgia, all alone, to go to a film festival. Was it real? Sure seemed like it.

Before March 8th, 2025, the furthest I had ever driven was a bit over 2 hours last year. In contrast, Albany, Georgia, my destination, was just shy of 900 miles away. A bit of a leap, but that's how Whitneys do things apparently. Trust me, I could tell you some stories. I expected myself to be nervous, even terrified. But I found myself excited. What was going on?

Though it might sound funny, I saw this trip as a 'rites of passage' or 'coming of age' milestone. Yes, I am a storytelling nerd. Stop judging me. That thought literally crossed my mind before I got into the car. Nonetheless, I think there is a level of veracity to it. To some degree, we all need to chart our own path at some point.

Now, before I continue, I have a confession to make. Call me a fraud, call me a phony; but no, I did not drive all 900 miles in one day. I broke it into two, and that still counts. A family friend living in the wide state of Tennessee (which by some miracle I just spelled correctly on the first try) let me stay the night on both the drive down and the drive back home. It worked out better than any human could have planned as it's perfectly situated to split the trip in half.

Rutan family – I am forever indebted to you. Thank you so much for your hospitality. Also, your house is one of the coolest houses I've seen and frankly, I don't think you realize it! Love it! And let Thor the dog know that I will lowkey miss him. 😆

I woke up the next day, Sunday morning, very thankful that I had been able to sleep in a bed that night. The next leg of the journey awaited.

Thankfully, things went mostly uneventful.

I will say, the scenery was BEAUTIFUL as I got further and further south. Sleep-deprived Joshua even broke out into midnight verse while writing the first draft of this:

Green grass and budding flowers greeted me in Alabama.
Rain clouds let loose their showers.
My windshield wipers whipped around like bowers.
Oh dear, I've been awake for hours - that's when things start to rhyme.

And then... after a very long day of driving, fraught with bitter mutters because of the hour I lost crossing a timezone and losing an additional hour earlier from daylight savings, I arrived safe and sound at the Airbnb in Albany, Georgia, that I would be sharing with 5 other guys. And the best part was that the adventure was only beginning.

CWVFF Film Festival

I honestly don't know what to write here. So much happened. Every time I start to write my mind goes wild, gets excited, and starts jumping all over the place. I guess I just have to start at the beginning.

How It All Began

Four months ago, I had no intention of stepping outside of my comfort zone and participating in the Christian Worldview Film Festival. Last November and December, I was in a different place mindset-wise. The weight of turning twenty and feeling directionless was overwhelming. I was neck-deep in doubt. Sure, I had been working incredibly hard, but I felt like I had nothing to show for the countless hours that I had toiled. What was the use?

For the first time, I felt completely broken and was finally ready to walk wherever the Lord would lead. I experienced a sweet surrender that killed my dreams. But from the rubble, something new was born. Just after this breaking point, my dad suggested that I look into talking with one of his peers about what he would suggest in my situation.

I was nervous going into that call, but that's when the adventure was sparked. Mr. Wilcox – thank you for advising that I look into CWVFF. I wouldn't be writing this if you hadn't brought that up. Funny – or better put – providential, how it all worked out. You wouldn't have brought the film festival up if my dad hadn't suggested that I reach out to you. My dad wouldn't have brought you into the picture as a person who might have wise words for me if my dream hadn't been broken. My dream wouldn't have broken if things had gone my way. Maybe my way wasn't so good after all.

See, broken things can be beautiful.

I imagine that over the oldest, coldest graves, gardens now flourish with seeds unaware of the sadness they remedy. Thus the seed was planted in my mind to take a step of faith. Nine hundred miles of figurative steps. Seven days of unknowns. So much could go wrong, but would it? Every logical bone in my body said, "Stay safe, don't go." But seeds have a habit of sprouting.

So, as I stepped out of the minivan onto the green Georgian grass, I felt a sense of relief. Finally, after 900 miles I was there.

The Guild, Friends, and New Friends

I've never considered myself a people person. More often than not, I subconsciously avoid situations that require meeting new people. But as I've grown older, the value of making friends has only increased.

CWVFF is broken into "The Guild" (which is probably my favorite part), and then later in the week "The Festival." The Guild is a filmmaker's dream come true in many ways. Everywhere you turn – a person who is just as fascinated as you are with storytelling, directing, or something similar. Then, in breakouts, speakers give talks on everything from producing to acting, and my favorite of course, storytelling. My only fret is that I couldn't hear them all.

I'm sitting here unsure of where to go with the rest of this segment. There is a lot I could write, but I don't want to make this any longer than it needs to be. Honestly, I'm not sure if I've ever had so much fun. I will cherish the CWVFF 2025 trip for many years to come.

Also, before I forget – my friend Andrew who was one of the guys I stayed with did a vlog that features my expert cooking skills. If you're looking for a good laugh, I recommend watching. You may not view me the same though – HAHAHA.

All Glory To God

All good things come to an end. And so, the festival came to an end just as fast as it began. Part of me wanted to be disappointed, but the more mature part of me was thankful to simply have the privilege of being able to participate.

The award ceremony ended with an a cappella rendition of the Doxology. It was beautiful.

I don't think there could have been any better way to end an event like that.

For me, the drive back home was full of contemplation. A good sort of contemplation. The type of contemplation that lets you take a step back from the smeared ink on your canvas and lets you get glimpses of the masterpiece God has been painting all along.

On that note, a few weeks after returning from Georgia, I drove some of my siblings down to St. Louis to see one of my all-time favorite musical artists, and boy was it a treat.

Forrest Frank Concert

Normally, I'm not the sort of person to be a crazy fan of something. And I wouldn't consider myself a crazy Forrest Frank fan. But I have heaps of respect for what he's doing. In many ways, I see him as a role model of what I want to be more like.

You don't say that about a musical artist very often, especially one who has his level of 'success'. He had a crazy 'successful' career before coming to faith, then left it all, and took a huge risk in starting over doing Christian music. While I love his music, the heart behind it is even more important to me and what I admire the most. If you want to learn more about him, this interview is about all there is out there. I found it very faith-building a few months ago.

I've not been to A LOT of concerts in my life, but I've seen a few. I can confidently say this one was special. I'm not just saying that, I mean it. This might sound weird, but while most artists perform on stage, I felt like he approached it with a heart to serve – and that made all the difference. I had moderately high expectations going into the event – countless comments had hailed it as 'the best concert they'd ever been to'. Yet, none of them pinpointed the why.

So, why? Why was it the best concert I've ever been to? No, it wasn't the phenomenal light show. If that's what I came for, I'd be disappointed. Was it the vocal performance? No, there are most likely more impressive live performances out there. If I came to be wowed by vocal range, I would have walked away empty-handed. It was the heart behind it; worship.

What stood out to me was that he spent, in my estimation, half of the show on his knees. Other people say it's not about them as they are on stage, but it's different when everyone in the room can feel that you're not just saying it.

I left that event, again, like the film festival, thankful with my heart ready for whatever God might next put in my journey.

Till next time...

-- Joshua Whitney