On May 3, 2023, Disney + released, Ed Sheeran's documentary, called "The Sum of It All." This documentary is unique, inspiring, and, different from many others that I have seen. It is not really a documentary at all; it is Ed's story of overcoming grief, mental health issues, and loss. The film also covers his inspirations for his music, hardships that fans have never seen in the public eye, and big family moments that changed his life. Although, Ed's main focus is still the music. He just wants to give fans a chance to see the real him.
Instead of going into a full detailed review of his album and film, I thought that I would share more about my journey and what I learned from the film.
1) "The goal is not to live forever, it is to create something that will." -Ed
I think that this is the most important quote and takeaway from the documentary.
For the longest time, I believed that the goal was to live forever. And I don't mean, like create an elixir and become a god type of living forever. I am talking about living a happy and healthy life. My sister had a death date and she lived past that date. When she got really sick, she was 18 years old, and I was 16 years old. I was barely a high school graduate. I was still growing up as a teenager. I thought that life was gonna be getting better despite my circumstances. Although, I quickly learned that I was wrong about that when my sister passed away.
The goal wasn't for her to live forever, it was for me to create something that would. And I did just that a year after her passing. In 2016, I created a t-shirt campaign for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) and sold over 80 t-shirts that were designed in honor of her memory. Each one had the green mito awareness ribbon on it. And, to this day it is my greatest accomplishment since I raised over $1,600 for the foundation.
Besides that campaign, I have created a lot of other things like stories on Wattpad, book covers on Canva, and even content here. One day, I want to create a non-profit for people living with invisible illnesses who want to learn more about the live music industry. It is a reachable goal. However, Ed has taught me that sometimes, you have to create your own work, if no one else will do it. So, maybe one day I'll create a team and make that non-profit that I dream about.
2) "Grief makes you grow up and become an adult." -Ed
In the documentary, Ed is talking about losing his best friend, Jamal during the pandemic. It's a heartbreaking and important moment in his life to cover. A story that usually isn't told in the music industry. One that people often forget about once it happens.
After watching Ed and Jamal's inspiring story, I learned that grief makes you grow up and become an adult again. And I say the word 'again' because I have been learning this lesson for the past 6 years and still forget about it every day. I think that I forget about it because I don't like talking about grief. However, grieving is part of life. It's natural. Loss happens to everyone whether it's a pet, a job, or a loved one. Grief makes you think about your life without someone and forces you to be dependent on them.
Although, I lost my sister at a young age and was forced to become an adult at the age of 16. But in Ed's story, he lost his best friend when he was an adult and was forced to re-learn how to grow up and become an adult, even though he was one. I hope that makes sense lol.
3) "You are never going to have everything figured out." -Ed
At the beginning of Ed's documentary, he talks about his inspiration for the Subtract album and what drives him to create music every day. From a viewer's perspective, it seems like he's got it all figured out in order to make the next hit record. However, as humans, we all know that it's not possible to have it all figured out. I quickly learned from binge-watching this documentary that Ed does not have his life or album release ideas all figured out. And nobody ever has it all figured out.
I think that this is a lesson that I have to learn every day. I am a person who wants to have it all figured out but I know all too well that nothing ever goes as planned. Life is unpredictable. We are human and are going to make mistakes, have accomplishments, lose friends and family members, and forget things.
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You can watch "The Sum of it all" on Disney +. I also wanted to mention that May is mental health awareness month. Please check in on your friends, followers, and family members. You never know who is struggling or needs someone to listen to. Ed didn't open up about his struggles until he put out this documentary because the media mixes stories up. However, this documentary is different, it is authentic and deserves a 5-star rating. I learned a lot from the music industry standpoint and about his life.
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