Amazing Talk by Charlie Kaufman

 "I saw a trailer for a movie. I wont say what the movie is, but it's coming out soon, and it was gorgeous... and it made me really depressed, and I was trying to sorta figure out why. I think there was an amazing amount of craft and skill on the part of the film-makers in this movie, and yet it was the same shit. And I know this movie is going to do really well. And I know the people who made it are going to get rewarded for it. And, so the cycle continues.

So I think the danger of craft is that it needs to be in second position to what it is you are doing. And it is seductive to put it in first position, often because what you are doing is meaningless, or worthless, or just more of the same, so you can distinguish yourself by being very good at it.

I think you need to be willing to be naked. When you do anything creatively in film or any other form. Because that's what you really have to do, because otherwise it's very very hard to separate it from marketing. I think that it just sorta becomes what it's about."   

                               

Art is hard for me. Kaufman hits on some of the reasons why I struggle with it, why I found it hard navigating the commercial world. How the allure and dangers of placing craft above meaning only creates shiny disposable shit to feed an economy of finite attention. 

                                        

"Do You. It isn't easy but it's essential. It's not easy because there's a lot in the way. In many cases a major obstacle is your deeply seated belief that you is not interesting. And since convincing yourself that you are interesting is probably not going to happen, take it off the table. Agree. Perhaps I'm not interesting but I am the only thing I have to offer, and I want to offer something. And by offering myself, in a true way, I am doing a great service to the world, because it is rare and it will help"

- Charlie Kaufman