Exploring Alternatives

Writing is my favorite method of creation, weaving entire realities that exist solely in your mind until pen is put to paper and the words are allowed to escape.  The physical sensation of being in the midst of a furious writing session is felt from head to toe, supercharging your fingers as they hammer away at the keys.  I would equate it to the feeling you get when someone you like first returns those sentiments, a kind of heart skipping, skin tingling wave radiating from your very center.  As much as I love writing—its process, completion and subsequent consumption—there is one major drawback, its extremely solitary nature.  Being alone with one’s thoughts is a occupational necessity and quite calming from time to time, but for me personally, it is the least appealing aspect.  I (by my very nature) am a social creature, not just in the normal human tribe sense, but in a way where I actually thrive when immersed in it.  It’s my love of social interaction that makes many people question how I can be in the Information Technology field.  Their assumptions always veer toward the awkward, introverted stereotype which contradicts my comfortable, extroverted manner.  As much as I relish the joy of creation via written word, my natural tendencies to seek out human contact can cause friction with the process. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about this inner dichotomy of mine, trying to analyze my internal workings in the hopes I can find a suitable compromise.  Using writing as the creative foundation, I investigated other possibilities.  Some involved writing, but in an office setting where the ebb and flow of corporate America would satisfy my needs.  Others focused more heavily on the human aspect, but dealt with shilling wares or selling goods, neither a very appealing prospect.  Finally, I began comparing my other passions which were equal to writing.  That’s when I had a minor epiphany (and major *facepalm* moment).  Film is a passion that I consume as fervently as literature, if not more so in recent years.  I looked back at my experiences with Script Frenzy or the short lived film project my brother and I were going to undertake.  In both cases I truly enjoyed script writing, finding the format new and invigorating, yet the brainstorming with others, hashing out different aspects of the concept, and debating who would handle each filming duty, electrified me as well.

As luck would have it Lateral Action (one of my favorite blogs) recently published an article about film making.  Titled “How to Succeed in Hollywood”, it was guest authored by a husband and wife team.  Joke and Biagio (with an equally named blog) have produced several popular shows such as Scream Queens and Beauty & the Geek through their Joke Productions company.  Their article dispelled the “creativity = success” myth of Hollywood fame, instead detailing how creativity coupled with the ability to execute those ideas is what will lead you to true success.  My appetite was whetted by this post so I promptly dove into their website, which I found down to earth and brutally honest.  They weren’t bitching about running out of Evian at remote tropical locations or only flying business class when doing press junkets in Europe, but revealing war stories from deep in the trenches, steeped with battle tested tips.  From their 4 year labor of love documentary “Dying to do Letterman” to the Do’s & Don’ts of Working with Celebrities, I found all their articles deeply informative and missing the fluff you usually find with Hollywood blogs.  If you took what they were sharing you could easily build a step-by-step guide to producing your own project, navigating the Hollywood maze and building a successful career.  I was stoked after devouring this wealth of knowledge.  Finally, I had a real world picture of what production truly entailed, with all its ups and downs. 

Wearing creative blinders is something I always want to avoid and without variety my passions fizzle out quickly.  I will continue writing short stories (eventually graduating to novels), but having another avenue in which to funnel my creativity is exciting.  The satisfaction of writing a solid script then the pleasure of collaborating with others to make it come to fruition, is the kind of balance I could use.  Hollywood isn’t my goal, just the joy of the process.  I don’t want to stop there either, possibly diving into other outlets like graphic novels.  My plan is to use the tools I already have, pick up a couple more (through books, blogs or people) and aim for a multi-faceted approach (à la Neil Gaiman).  The one trick pony method has been leading me into a rut, but I feel that diversifying will help me continue my momentum.

I’d love to hear what methods you use to keep from going creatively stagnant? 

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Tagged as: Creativity, Goals, Lateral Action, Passion, Process