How Thankfulness Became the Engine Behind My Work
- Nov 10, 2025
- 2 min read
By Jonathan Schüßler
When I first started creating wedding films, I never imagined that gratitude would become one of the most powerful forces shaping my creative journey. Today, much of my work revolves around the idea that appreciation can fuel artistic growth, strengthen relationships, and expand opportunity.
It all began with my location video project, a passion initiative where I use my storytelling and filmmaking background to introduce couples to some of the most beautiful, luxurious wedding venues across Germany and now beyond that.
With each film, I try to showcase its atmosphere, how light moves through the rooms, how a wedding might feel in the space, and what emotions a couple would have during certain parts of the day. My goal is always to help future couples feel the magic of the place before they even visit it, knowing that a lot of couples would have to travel a lot, to be able to see them in person.
Over time, these films have become a cornerstone of my business. They reach thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of viewers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
But what truly surprised me was the wave of gratitude that came back. Venues began reaching out, expressing appreciation for how their spaces were captured. Telling me they don't even have TikTok and now get inquiries from couples that found them on TikTok through my videos. Many shared the videos on their own channels, using them in their marketing campaigns, which not only extended the reach of my work but also multiplied the connections behind it.
This gratitude created a cycle: the more thankful the venues were, the more inspired I felt to elevate my storytelling and produce more videos. I realized that every kind message, every repost, every “thank you” was like creative fuel that encouraged me to experiment, to care more deeply, and to refine my craft.
But it wasn’t just the venues. Couples themselves began writing to tell me how my location videos helped them find their dream wedding spots and that it made their planning process easier and more real. They were thankful for something that, in truth, I had created simply out of love for visual storytelling. That mutual appreciation turned gratitude into both a business driver and a creative philosophy.
The effects didn’t stop there. These projects led to new collaborations creating image films for groups of venues, developing long-term partnerships.
Gratitude opened doors that strategy alone couldn’t have unlocked.
In a world obsessed with metrics, views, and conversions, gratitude reminds me why I started all of this in the first place: to tell stories that make people feel the realness of their wedding day. Whether it’s a quiet ceremony in a sun-filled garden or a big party in a sicilian castle, my best work always emerges when I approach it with appreciation for the people, the places, and the privilege of being invited into their intimate celebrations with only their most loved ones.
Gratitude-driven creativity isn’t just about being thankful; it’s about letting that thankfulness transform the way you create. It turns clients into collaborators, projects into partnerships, and work into purpose.
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