My last blog sung the praises of collaboration at a time when we most need to come together and feel a sense of community. It encouraged you to leave paper trails of collaboration to help navigate your collective creative journeys together. It’s important not to focus too much on do’s and don’ts and to allow deep passion and inspiration to fuel the subject matter of both your own, and collaborative creations.
“Art is the mirror of the soul…of your soul and mine….of our gaze.”
Malena Rodriguez La Rosa
The same can be said for all creativity – paintings, song, writing and movies. In a time where we move from the Old World Order to a Brave New World, we each have the opportunity to create to offer hope to current and future generations. Looking to the past, we can learn what audiences might want at a time like this. It’s no surprise that pandemic, disaster themed stories are set to become mainstream. There’s nothing to stop you jumping on that bandwagon. You can dare to be different by making yours with a twist. Read on for ideas…
Passion projects
We all have a passion for something in life. Each and every one of us enjoys doing, or dreaming of doing something. Us creatives have passion projects…ideas that come to us. And, if we don’t bring those ideas to life, they keep nagging, like an in-built alarm that keeps going off if you haven’t paid your inspiration enough attention.
Passion projects are often the stories whose flame burns deep inside. It’s a fire that has to be lit and burn bright. Many of you will be working on passion projects that began in the Old World. They could be light or dark. In a time where it feels like there is a dark blanket covering the planet, light the flame of inspiration wherever you can. If your passion is grizzly crime or horror, how about weaving in some kind of inspirational, meaningful, or humorous message that’ll leave something to be of help to future generations in times of darkness. Let the light get in somewhere and somehow.
Remember that in the Old World there weren’t that many ‘bad’ experiences that touched the population as a collective. Suffering was more limited, now it is widespread.
As you consider and craft your passion projects, dig deep, examine them closely and ask yourself if this is what you really want to make, or is it a construct of yourself that you used to wear well in the Old World? What we create as a creative community at this time will influence future audiences so create with passion and care for the greater good. This single line from the great Sufi poet, Rumi rings true:
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you”
RUMI
In the New World, where we live with the stuck record of pandemic on every radio and TV station, audiences might not want to feel more anxious reading or watching movies. Consider whether you can give your audience some inspiration and some humour…
Laughter is the best medicine
Let’s look to an inspirational world leader. If you have ever watched the Dalai Lama, you’ll notice he often uses humour in his interviews and story telling.
“I have been confronted with many difficulties throughout the course of my life…But I laugh often, and my laughter is contagious. When people ask me how I find the strength to laugh now, I reply that I am a professional laugher.”
The Dalai Lama
In my humble opinion, laughter has helped me immensely. In times of severe pain when painkillers don’t work, I try to practice laughter (to the extent that I am able) and I am blessed to have friends who make me laugh in times of stress. You know who you are! Watching or listening to something humorous helps too.
The benefits of LAUGHTER on the body are widespread, not only is it a great holistic body and mind work out, it also, (apparently):
- increases serotonin and endorphins
- replenishes the lungs, relaxes muscles and eases tension in the body
- reduces stress hormones in the body
- protects the heart & increases immune system functioning.
It’s fair to say that laughter is critical for our health and sanity in all times, and especially during these times of great uncertainty. So, if comedy is your thing, now’s the time for you to make future generations laugh. And, if grizzly floats your boat, chuck in a handful of humour, it takes the edge off the gore.
Film studies: Crime Noir emerged from the atrocities and darkness of WWII
In a previous blog, I put Shakespeare on a pedestal showcasing what he created during isolation from the Bubonic Plague. Well, why not ,we’ve gotta aim high Collabers!
Looking back to films that emerged from the Second World War, it is no coincidence that the crime noir movement which has influenced so much of what we enjoy today, emerged during wartime. Was the timing of the movement a coincidence? Or, did people make movies that mirrored the horror and darkness they were experiencing and tempered that with humour as a means of hope. 
Sheri Chinen Biesen in her fascinating work ‘Blackout‘ describes how Film Noir drew on societal anxieties as Americans faced fear, loss and shortages.
If you glance back through history, you will see what audiences wanted at particular times.
Why not spend some time looking backwards to learn and forwards for inspiration. Be still and gaze into your crystal ball to see what audiences of the future might want to watch.
Make movies that matter & write words that resonate
In writing stories of the future we have the opportunity to shape the New World Creative Order. It is within your gift to feel inspired, get passionate and create projects to influence and change the hearts and minds of future generations. I will leave you to ponder your passion project through the wise lens of the great leader, The Dalai Lama:
“Be ready to change your goals, but never change your values”
– The Dalai Lama
Collab Writers 