Daily Inspiration: Meet Nathan Dowdy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Dowdy.

Hi Nathan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’m a filmmaker, musician, and producer from Charlotte, NC. I’ve been creating professionally for over a decade, and that was about the time that I met my good friend Garrett Glaus, who this story is really about. We found a similar heart and a desire to create and soon found ourselves in a band together, writing and performing folk rock music. Garrett moved to Nashville a few years later, and I split my time between Charlotte and Nashville, working on film and music projects with various collaborators. In the early spring of 2021, I received the call that Garrett had been diagnosed with progressive joint disease, and we began to brainstorm ways to help him and his family with the expenses that treatment would incur. We had the idea to produce a short 5-minute film telling Garrett’s story, and in the summer of 2021, we began filming.

This film, we believe, captures the story of Garrett and allows others to get to know him. Garrett is a musician and music producer, but his primary mission and career are as a Mental Health Communicator and speaker. Garrett has spoken at dozens of colleges and venues, sharing his unique and well-researched perspective on mental health. He has a huge heart for helping others, and now that he is in a place of need, it’s been my joy to tell his story so that others can have the opportunity to give to help him and his family get through this crisis. I desire that, in watching this film, you feel led to give financially to his GoFundMe, because any bit helps sustain him and his family on their treatment journey. He’s done so much for the Nashville community, and now, I believe, it’s time that Nashville rises for him. It would mean the world to me if you would watch the film at www.garrettglaus.com/gofundme and consider donating so that Garrett can get back on his feet and get back to helping others in the beautiful ways he does at a fuller capacity.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Watching my friend deal with a disease that has (in many ways) taken his freedom away has been heartbreaking. Garrett has been fighting this disease for over a year and a half. While he experiences ups and downs, his experience with this chronic illness has been a difficult journey for him and his family, especially in sustaining through the many different treatments he’s had to go through in order to find one that will accomplish the goal of getting him back on his feet. We are hopeful, but treatment is ongoing, and the cost is incredibly high. I’m incredibly passionate about helping my friend through this difficult time, and I hope you’ll join me in helping him in any way you can.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I create in order to tell stories, and I do this through film, music, design, photography, and more: telling the unique stories of people, bands, businesses, and nonprofits. I specialize in corporate work mostly, though my work with individuals and non-profits is of which I’m most proud: the 2014 documentary film “Hope: Impossible is Unacceptable” that I produced with 3000 Miles to a Cure, an organization that raises money for brain cancer research and awareness, being one example. This film I produced for my friend Garrett is similar, with the goal of raising funds to cover medical expenses, and show his heart that has impacted so many people. My greatest goal in my career is to create media that unites us, encourages compassion and generosity, and connects those in need with the resources they need. My latest project, about one of Nashville’s own, has been my joy to create and share. You can watch the 5-minute film at garrettglaus.com/gofundme, where you can donate if you feel led to do so.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nathandowdy.com
• Instagram: @nathandowdy
• Other: garrettglaus.com/gofundme

Image Credits
The first image of me (curly hair, suit jacket, looking to the side) was taken by Logan David Fincher. The other image was taken by Mike Yarbrough. All other photos are of Garrett Glaus, and were taken by his family.