Don’t be limited by what you’ve been in the past! This is the antidote for the people who will tell you, “Don’t try to be something you’re not!” Who are they to decide what your potential is? Following your dreams means building on skills and experiences that take years to develop. Whether you’re developing those …(Read More)
Jesse S. Smith: Author, Multimedia Producer, Dad.
Howdy! I’m Jesse S. Smith. I’m an author, multimedia producer, and Dad from the beautiful small town of Silverton here in the great state of Oregon.
My mission is to help YOU find a renewed sense of hope and purpose within.
Through my books, music, video productions, and other projects, I aspire to connect those who sometimes feel like outsiders.
I strive to offer meaning, motivation, and empathetic creative self-expression. I believe you don’t need to have a huge budget to make an impact on the world. That’s why my company is named Basement Productions, Inc. (dba Basementia and Tomis Press).
Multimedia Productions
My 12th book is slated for publication in 2024. I write in a variety of genres, from sci-fi to political philosophy; from poetry and mythology reimaginings to self-help. But I’m not just an author: I’m a multimedia creative. With a lifetime of musical study, and multitracking experience dating back to the 1990s, I have a back catalog of more than a hundred original songs, with plans to produce many more in the future. (My new album, “Flumergex: Broken Pieces,” was released in March of 2024, and is now available on your favorite streaming and digital download platforms.) With video production experience stretching back to childhood, and a number of low-budget self-help videos on YouTube, I was fortunate to assist on the production crew of a fantastic high-quality sci-fi movie in the Fall of 2023: and that was so exciting, I now have plans to pursue this avenue of interest in the future. With computer programming experience also dating back to childhood, I have extensive experience building websites and plugins; and although I’m not actively pursuing app development at this time, it’s certainly something I may return to in the future.
A Sense of Purpose
I’ve been married since 2005, and we have two energetic kids. I include the word “Dad” in many of my websites and social media profiles, because parenthood is central to my identity and life experience.
I believe that, as humans fortunate enough to be living in this time and place, we have the power to consciously transform ourselves and choose our own destinies. And I believe this in part due to my own lived experience.
In 2022, I ran for public office for the first time. I was my local district’s opposition candidate for the Oregon State House of Representatives in the 2022 general election. Although I did not defeat the incumbent at that time, this experience represented a huge personal turnaround: because putting oneself out there to run for public office requires tremendous self-assurance, and just a few years previously I had been deeply lacking in self-confidence.
You see, after my web design business (Mardesco) collapsed in 2016, I experienced a prolonged period of severe clinical depression: my own personal rock bottom. It took me many years to climb back out from that dark place. Eventually I began exercising regularly and listening to self-help audio books during my workouts. It took time and conscious effort, but I was finally able to re-emerge into the light thanks to the empowering messages of self-help. I am now a self-help true believer, and I wish to spread the message of hope. There are a lot of people in this world who feel stuck and hopeless, for whatever reason; and if you’re one of them, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to be limited! Break free, overcome limitations and challenges, find new meaning in your life, and experience joy, happiness, wonder, and gratitude.
You don’t have to be at rock bottom to benefit from self-help. These practices are beneficial to anyone who is willing to put in the effort. And remember: self-help is a practice, just like physical exercise, or meditation, or playing a musical instrument. As with any other practice, you get better at it the more you do it; you get rusty when you let the practice slip for a time; and no matter how much you practice, you’re going to make mistakes occasionally. Everyone does, it’s not just you! So keep going, and don’t give up!
There are many more stories I would love to tell you! but for now, please enjoy browsing around this site. I’m working on updating it, of course. Many of the older posts here were written during my “rock bottom” days; and many of the rest talk about my experience of discovering self-help and recovering from depression. I hope that my experience will offer you hope.
Be the best version of yourself! It’s a choice we make, every moment of every day. Whatever happened in the past, you can choose to be a better you, starting now.
Wishing you all the best. Have a most excellent day.