High Maintenance creators bucked the system by trusting the wisdom of their gut

Things I Learned Along The Way — Huck's Fiftieth Special collects lessons learned and creative advice from fifty of the most inspiring people we know. Each day we'll be sharing a new excerpt from the magazine. Today, High Maintenance creators Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld explain why bucking the system was the best decision they ever made.

#20 – High Maintenance

The way we’re watching TV has changed, thanks to a kind of technological coup. As movie stars cultivate a new respect for the form, veering towards series delivered on-demand (see True Detective, House of Cards and more), and teens turn to YouTube for their daily hits, everyone’s trying to figure out how to make it in this new world. But it also means more first-timers are getting air-time, and production companies are taking bigger chances than ever before. And if you don’t get your big break, you can craft one for yourself. That’s exactly what husband and wife duo Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld did when they embarked on their DIY web series, High Maintenance. The show’s success is a testament to trusting their instincts. But the duo have had to make some tough decisions along the way, some of which they wholly regret:

“Your first gut reaction is the correct one,” offers Ben. “Yeah, they were mostly based on advice from people who might not know us that well or based on what seems to be the general tact for most people,” continues Katja. “Our gut reaction would be at odds with that and we would choose to go with the more tried and true path because that’s what people around us are saying and then come to regret it. That’s been huge for us.”

This is just a short excerpt from Huck’s Fiftieth Special, a collection of fifty personal stories from fifty inspiring lives.

Grab a copy now to read all fifty stories in full. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss another issue.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Music

In the ’60s and ’70s, Greenwich Village was the musical heart of New York

Talkin’ Greenwich Village — Author David Browne’s new book takes readers into the neighbourhood’s creative heyday, where a generation of artists and poets including Bob Dylan, Billie Holliday and Dave Van Ronk cut their teeth.

Written by: Cyna Mirzai

Activism

How Labour Activism changed the landscape of post-war USA

American Job — A new exhibition revisits over 70 years of working class solidarity and struggle, its radical legacy, and the central role of photography throughout.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Analogue Appreciation

Analogue Appreciation: Emma-Jean Thackray

Weirdo — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, multi-instrumentalist and Brownswood affiliate Emma-Jean Thackray.

Written by: Emma-Jean Thackray

Culture

Meet the shop cats of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan district

Feline good — Traditionally adopted to keep away rats from expensive produce, the feline guardians have become part of the central neighbourhood’s fabric. Erica’s online series captures the local celebrities.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Activism

How trans rights activism and sex workers’ solidarity emerged in the ’70s and ’80s

Shoulder to Shoulder — In this extract from writer Jake Hall’s new book, which deep dives into the history of queer activism and coalition, they explore how anti-TERF and anti-SWERF campaigning developed from the same cloth.

Written by: Jake Hall

Culture

A behind the scenes look at the atomic wedgie community

Stretched out — Benjamin Fredrickson’s new project and photobook ‘Wedgies’ queers a time-old bullying act by exploring its erotic, extreme potential.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to the new Huck Newsletter to get a personal take on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck.

Please wait...