Category: creativity
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for moments of catastrophic failure
I’ve been working on a new play for the last year or so. This past weekend, I assembled a cast of actors to sit and read the script for the first time. It was awful. While the feedback I received was invaluable, the consensus from those in the room was…
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an unstoppable force and an immovable object
Debbie Millman knows how to conduct an interview. Ai Weiwei knows how to navigate interrogation. Their pairing on a recent episode of Design Matters made for a few golden moments: Millman: I was wondering if you have memories of the first time that you remember being creative. WeiWei: I never…
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Mike Mills on black & white
Mike Mills has been one of my favorite filmmakers for years. From his intertextual citation to the naturalistic performances he captures, Mills is not just a master filmmaker, but a true artist. His most recent film, C’mon C’mon, continues his exploration of unconventional family dynamics, following an audio journalist who…
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lessons from Mike Nichols
I finally finished reading Mark Harris’s biography, Mike Nichols: A Life. A few takeaways: “I passionately believe that in art, certainly in theater, there are only two questions…The first question is: ‘What is this, really, when it happens in life?’ not what is the accepted convention…but what is it really…
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a question worth asking
What does it look like when you really try at something? Not the half-hearted attempt used to prove something to someone. I’m talking about the balls-to-the-wall, pull-out-the-stops, go-for-broke effort. What does that look like for you?
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the doodle game
I had a blast listening to Wendy MacNaughton’s Draw Together podcast this week. The second episode introduces “The Doodle Game,” an easy way to tap into creative flow. You begin by scribbling on a piece of paper, then adding features and details to what you see in the mess you’ve…
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listening to listen
It seems like most of the time, when I listen to a podcast, it’s to get something out of it. I’m on the hunt for tidbits of creative advice, insight into a craft, or equipment for living life in these trying times. Rarely do I listen just to listen. Marc…
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pushing the button
I worked a party at an expensive house in Hollywood this week. The front door was fifteen feet tall and latched automatically. Instead of twisting a knob, you had to push a button on the wall to unlatch the door and exit the house. One of my co-workers came to…
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forgetting the words
I’ve been on a Patti Smith kick lately, which led me to her performance at the 2016 Nobel Prize Ceremony to honor Bob Dylan. Part of the way through “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” Patti blanks on the words. But instead of trying to cover, she stops the song and…
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passing an idea
I’ve spent some time recently reflecting on inspiration. After spending last summer watching Friday Night Lights, a drive in football feels the perfect metaphor to express how we inspire others. The ball doesn’t stay in one person’s hands. It’s passed between players. Ultimately, our job is to create things that…
joshua chamberlain 