The Essential Work of an Artist

This year at the Sundance Film Festival, screenwriter and director Taylor Sheridan was met with boisterous applause as he came to the stage to discuss his new film, Wind River. "Why you do it," he said.

The life of an artist is seldom filled with such emphatic confirmation of why we do what we do. But when those moments come there is no doubt the life of a storyteller is an essential one. 

I remember two times in particular when either I, or someone in the same theater as me was so moved by a piece of storytelling it was clear it their life had been changed for the better in some small way.

Years ago, I saw one of my favorite stage actors Frank Langella perform in a play called, Frost/Nixon. (later made into a feature film) Just a few months earlier I'd arrived in New York bright-eyed and ready to grace the stages of the Shubert and Barrymore myself. It was a wonderful time in my young life. 

There's a scene in the play where Nixon is going on a drunken rant about how he's misunderstood and how he essentially won't allow the Watergate scandal to destroy him. I remember an elderly woman sitting in front of me absolutely riveted by his words and when Langella's monologue came to a close she whispered under breath, "Beautiful." She hadn't intended for a soul to hear her her. It was almost as though she was keeping a secret but she quite literally could not keep the words to herself. I want to make people feel the way Langella just made her feel," I thought.

A few years later, I went to see a film called, La Mission. The film is about a macho bus driver who can't accept the fact his son his gay. At the conclusion of the film, the director fielded questions to a packed house. The gentlemen sitting behind me was in tears as he muscled out the words, "As the father of a gay Latino son I want to thank you for making this film. It's so important we tell this stories."

There are many more accounts where there was no doubt this is what I put on earth to do. Of course, the moments are fleeting and frequently met with the ambivalence that stories matter. Sometimes I'm all but crushed that our culture doesn't value art the way it should. But all that means is you must double-down and protect your artistry even more.

I encourage you to watch for the next time you're at a BBQ, or delivering a presentation and you begin to tell a compelling story. People will, without knowing it, lean in and make sure they catch every word. 

Why? 

Because we all connect - through the human experience. Through stories. 

Wing Chun Ain't Enough - A Story About Bruce Lee

There's a famous story about how Bruce Lee was challenged to a fight by affiliates of the Gee Yau Seah Academy in 1964. Members of this particular organization took offense to Lee's bravado and weren't particularly keen on his method of teaching.

Lee accepted the challenge and ended up fighting a man named, Wong Jack Man, a Wing Chun stylist. The fight went on for longer than Lee anticipated but he ended up the victor.

What Lee discovered afterwards was quite interesting. Because he was only versed in Wing Chun, his options during the exchange were relatively limited. His capacity to counter certain moves and adopt a flexible methodology were constrained because he only knew one type of martial art well. In other words, there were significant weaknesses in his craft.

He then went on a quest to learn and master other types of self-defense. It was this philosophy that permeated his approach to life in general.

Not only was Lee an amazing martial artist but he designed jewelry, exercise equipment, was a philosopher, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. He never allowed himself to be limited in any arena of his life, nor was he embarrassed by the fact he didn't know how to do something. He just found out how to do it.

In his own words, "To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities."

Know What Not to Do

I recently watched an interview with screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. (Sicario, Hell or High Water)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeySPEcoq4Q

In the interview he talks about the transition he made from acting to screenwriting and how it took years for him to discover he never really enjoyed acting. What he really loved was storytelling. 

When he decided to become a full time writer he said he didn't have a clue about how to write a movie, but he knew exactly how not to. He credited his experience in countless less than stellar productions over his 20-year career as his North Star. 

It dawned on me that knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to focus on. Both are equally crucial guides to creating compelling work.

Start Before You're Ready

There's a great interview with actor turned screenwriter, Taylor Sheridan on YouTube. Sheridan recently brought to life the critically acclaimed stories, Sicario and more recently, Hell or High Water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeySPEcoq4Q

During the interview Sheridan admits he knew nothing about writing a film. Perhaps equally important, he knew how not to.

“I have absolutely no idea how to do this but I know exactly how not to…tell the story I want to tell, be honest…I write movies I want to see about things that interest me," he concluded. 

Not only is it crucial to know the pitfalls of creating something meaningful, but I also gathered from Sheridan's words that it's also okay to start before you feel ready. 

You don't have to have it all together to do something remarkable. Just begin.