Daily Inspiration: Meet Christopher Eaton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Eaton.

Hi Christopher, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve had a circuitous journey to say the least…
I graduated St. Lawrence University with BAs in Music and Fine Arts with a minor in Economics. Seven days later, I sold my car and moved to Sydney, Australia, where I began writing. To make money, I gambled on the Olympics and picked strawberries.
I returned to the US to attend Empire College School of Law, where I placed sixth in my first-year class. I deferred for a year to work as a civil litigation paralegal in the San Francisco financial district, working in landlord-tenant and class action lawsuits.
Eventually I fell out of love with law (as so many have) so I left the legal sector to continue my writing, eventually landing at Circus Center, a gym, school, and performance venue for circus performers. There I worked my way up, eventually leading the school’s marketing program as well as training 6-8 hours a week in various forms of Chinese Acrobatics.
I left the circus to live in the woods of Tahoe with my cat and typewriter for a short stint before moving to Portland, Oregon, where I worked in real estate, launched my own card game company, and found myself at Bee Thinking, a company promoting treatment-free beekeeping. I taught people about bees, honey harvesting, and mead making.
I also launched a record label at 19 years old, I design and sell screenprinted clothing on Amazon, and I coached winning teams in both youth and high school boys lacrosse.
All the while I had been writing screenplays, short stories, articles and essays, so I made the move down to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue writing and filmmaking. Since then I’ve worked as a ghostwriter, collaborating with over a dozen authors to adapt their books (and lives) into film and television projects. I’ve directed award-winning short films, produced feature documentaries, and worked as crew on TV and film projects, including premieres at Sundance and screenings in theaters across the globe.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to share the experience and information I’ve gathered over the years by providing creative guidance for artists across the spectrum, from film and television to music and photography, game design, curriculum building and entrepreneurship.
In my opinion, there’s no creative challenge too great.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has more certainly NOT been a smooth ride…
Every artist knows the solitude and rejection that comes with pursuing a life in your craft. Countless, thankless hours spent fine-tuning our expressions to match our intentions. I believe that art is inherently personal, we pour ourselves into every word, frame, or brush stroke, which is why the inevitable rejections we receive can’t help but feel personal. Focusing on the creation, rather than the reception, will be a lifelong practice.
The story of Sisyphus is well known – the King of Ephyra doomed by Zeus to an eternity of pushing a boulder up a hill. Each day Sisyphus gets a little bit higher but he never reaches the top, and when he grows tired and weak, the boulder rolls back down the hill and he must try again tomorrow. The part of the story I choose to focus on is the moment when Sisyphus decides to step aside and let the boulder go. I like to believe he didn’t just march back down the hill, but rather, he took a moment to appreciate the view, to be proud of how far he’s come, how strong he’s become, and to stand tall before he casually saunters down that hill like a motherf**king boss, ready to do it all again tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
It seems odd to say that I am “most well known” for being a ghostwriter, because that kind of defeats the purpose of the whole job, but helping others tell their story through writing (and film) is my calling.
Especially adaptations!
Nearly half my writing portfolio are adaptations from real life events, biographies, and bestsellers into film, television, and manuscripts. I find immense joy in working with someone whose passion spanned years and culminated in the writing of a book or living a notable life. I love the research, the exploration, the kneading of narratives, and the opportunity to become an “expert” on someone else’s passion, all in order to help them share it with the world.
I’m drawn to real stories, impactful moments that history wants us to forget. I consider myself a “historian with a heart,” and I believe it is in the shadows of history that humanity truly reveals itself.
(If you are a manager looking for a prolific, motivated client, let’s connect!)

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
The truth is, I’ve never been afraid of taking a risk. I believe there’s a risk in everything – personal or professional – whether it is pursuing a craft, becoming a freelancer, or sharing your art with the world. The one constant I’ve found is that the odds tip in your favor when you’re betting on yourself.
As a creative, I’ve worked a variety of “day jobs” that fed and rewarded my curiosity, but once I had learned all I could (and saved up a little bit of a nest egg), I would push off and pursue my creative passions. It was risky and it often didn’t “pay off” in any tangible financial terms, and so after a few months of focused creative work, I would return to the workforce and start over again.
But the gift of being a writer (or any artist) is that a story I write today may not sell tomorrow, but it could sell years from now. My screenplay doesn’t lose value when fiscal quarter ends, but I did give myself the opportunity to write another story and add to my growing body of work.
And again, one of the biggest reasons I have been able to take creative risks in my life is because of the immense support system I have around me. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.themysterytin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysterytin
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysterytinfilms
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mysterytin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mysterytinfilms
• Other: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01b1abf91dd7c257b1?mp_source=share