The message of this blog is short, so if you are short on time, or your attention span is short read on, I’ll be quick. I promise.
Create with EASE
It’s Sunday morning and I’m reminded of the song ‘Easy like Sunday morning.’ That’s exactly how your relationship with creativity can and should be.
If you are a writer or a filmmaker here on this planet right now you have a duty, you have a duty to pour your creative music onto the page, through words, drawing, painting. Whatever mode you’ve chosen, or has chosen you, give birth to it.
Create NOW
Forget the excuse of ‘I don’t have time.’ Time won’t give you time so you better do it now, in the present rather than waiting till tomorrow, when there will be one day less.
During lockdown, I’ve heard the same old question, hard on the ears like a stuck record.: ‘What sort of stories do you think the market will be looking for?‘ Frankly, who gives a flying saucer what the market thinks. If you try to write a disaster movie because you think that’s what a fearful population wants to see, write it by all means but if you ain’t passionate about it, it won’t fly. Besides, haven’t we got enough disaster in the world without inflicting fictional disaster on our fellow human beings?
Create what MATTERS
I honestly feel that anyone with a single creative bone in their body was born to share their message with the world. And, each of us has something different that matters to us, be it fair treatment and equality, religion, saving the world, animals, coffee, chocolate.
Create what you CARE ABOUT
I dare you do one thing after reading this. Plant a seedling of something creative that MATTERS TO YOU. Not what matters to Netflix, Channel 4 or any other studio seeking work, but create what matters to you.
Create with EMOTION
In the words of Collab Writers’ Founder Collaborator, Elliot Grove:
“Good storytelling is all about the emotion.”
Without the emotion, your creation will be flat and I reckon you can only inject that ‘real’ emotion into writing, or a painting if you have some kind of feelings about your subject. You might love it, you might hate it, either works. What you mustn’t show is an I couldn’t care, nonchalant attitude. That doesn’t rock anyone’s boat.
If you want an example of raw emotion, and lesson 101 in storytelling that matters, re-watch the movies of one of my favourite actors and filmmakers, Mr Clint Eastwood.
Create after doing your HOMEWORK
Last night I watched Gran Torino, a tour de force dealing with, amongst other things, social issues, nationalism and racial tension that matter more than ever today. The tension and conflict build from the get go and has you on the edge of your seat until the shocking ending. I’ve seen the film at least twice before but my emotional rollercoaster began as soon as the opening credits fell away.
Create a rollercoaster of EMOTION
I felt an immense dislike for the lead character, Walt from his first sentence and spitting at his neighbours. The racist views made my blood boil. The writers and filmmakers did their job brilliantly, emotive story telling that built and built with each inciting incident. And they achieved that really clever thing, that the best movies do where the character changes, grows and learns from the mistakes of his past, embraces change and with that you, the see’er grow to have a deep respect for him. As the movie develops, Walt discovers he has more in common with his neighbours than his own people and they become his family. In the end, he commits the ultimate sacrifice caring more about their survival than his own. Now that’s what I call emotional telling of a story that matters.
To steal the emotion from another great emotive movie ‘The Godfather’:
“You’ve gotta “go for the marmite” with your creative works.”
– Jennie Griffiths
Love or hate what you write about. Never, ever ‘like’ or shrug your shoulders about your subject or message, feel the emotion and whatever you create will matter.
Collab Writers 