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3 Ways ‘La La Land’ Will Ignite Your Creativity · The Daily Writer

• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome everybody to the Born to Create Podcast.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Kent Sanders and I'm your host.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an author, musician, and a teacher.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: But most importantly, I'm a husband and a dad.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Here on the show, we talk about practices, habits, and strategies that help us live out our creative calling.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 18, and today we're going to be talking about three ways La La Land will ignite your creativity.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the post that accompanies this episode, as well as all the links at KentSanders.net slash Lala Land.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: La La Land was one of the most well-known movies featured at this year's Academy Awards.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: It tells the story of a jazz pianist who falls in love with an aspiring actress and the resulting conflict brought on by their separate ambitions.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's a bright, inventive film that takes place in modern day Los Angeles, and it harkens back to the days of old movie musicals.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: The beauty and fun of La La Land have been overshadowed a bit by the controversy surrounding the best picture Oscar when the wrong one was announced.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: So it was announced that La La Land was the winner, but it wasn't actually the winner, it was a movie called Moonlight.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Despite all that, La La Land remains an awesome picture that I highly recommend.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: My wife asked me to take her to see it a few weeks ago, and to be honest, I wasn't excited about it.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've never been a big fan of movie musicals, but soon into the movie, La La Land completely won me over by its playful spirit, engaging story, and sheer audacity.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: This is a movie I will revisit many times in the future.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because it's ignited my creative spirit in new and refreshing ways.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think it'll do the same for you, no matter what type of creative work you do, and even whether or not you like musicals.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: There are three specific lessons on creativity I've learned from watching La La Land.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is do something audacious.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Damien Chazelle, the writer and director of La La Land, wanted to create something unique with this film.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: He sets the tone with the opening scene, which features dozens of actors performing the song called Another Day of Sun on a crowded Los Angeles freeway.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: This intricately choreographed musical number took a huge amount of effort to plan and rehearse.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: The filmmakers had to get special permission from California officials to shut down the freeway for two days of filming.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Talk about Audacious.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: When is the last time you did something really crazy?
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: I think too often we play by the rules and stick to conventional wisdom because we're afraid of what other people are going to think.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: We underestimate what we can achieve and often avoid reaching for higher goals.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: In the song called Audition, The Fools Who Dream, Emma Stone, who's in the movie, sings Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: I can't think of a better encouragement for every creative person out there.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: It would have been easy for La La Land's creators to settle for making a more conventional movie.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Drama, superhero, action, romance.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Those are neat and tidy categories for studios and audiences.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: No surprises and no risks.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: But the director, Damian Chazelle, forged ahead with his specific vision for the film he wanted to make, despite the fact that we haven't seen many successful musicals lately.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, can you think of a recent live action movie musical that was truly successful?
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't, and in fact I had to look it up.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: It was the movie Chicago from 2002, 15 years ago.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: But despite the odds, Damian Chazelle ignored the conventional wisdom and followed his own path.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, there's a lot of conflicting advice out there about the most effective ways for creative people to build an audience.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Should you focus on a blog?
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Should you focus on a newsletter, a podcast, speaking, video, webinars, social media?
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: The more we see what works for other people, the easier it is to get confused about our own goals and direction.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's great to learn from others, but you must stay true to your own voice, vision, and values.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: That's why it's so helpful to have creative clarity in your life.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to learn more about creative clarity, check out episodes four and seven of the podcast.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, surround yourself with creative people.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: A movie like La La Land is the product of a collaborative team.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: It was primarily the vision of the director, but he relied on a multitude of creative partners to create the finished product.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone involved in the look and the sound of the film, including cinematography, lighting, wardrobe, music, and many others, made a key contribution to the finished product.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: A great example of this is Mandy Moore, the choreographer for La La Land.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: The dance sequences were a key element in the movie, and she played obviously a very important role in bringing those dance scenes to life.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: The theme of collaboration is subtly woven through the movie with Sebastian's love for jazz, which relies on the interplay and improvisation of musicians.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm a 42-year-old introverted gin Xer, and I don't naturally seek community.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: My parents taught me to be really independent and self-sufficient, and my personality is wired to crave time alone.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Millennials seem to naturally gravitate to working and creating in groups.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever your age, personality, or generation, you'll benefit from the wisdom and creativity of other people.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you're lacking a sense of community in your life, you'll have to be intentional about finding it.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Church, Facebook groups, meetup groups, and organizations in your community all offer possibilities for connecting with other creatives.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't seen the movie La La Land, I encourage you to check it out.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's the power of movies.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it takes a made-up story to show you what's possible in real life.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: So have you seen La La Land?
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: If so, how did it inspire you?
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to hear your thoughts.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: You can join the conversation and find the post and the links that accompany this episode at KentSanders.net slash Lala Land.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: When you visit my site, you'll find all kinds of great resources to inspire your creativity.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also love to share a gift with you when you subscribe to my newsletter.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: You can check it out and learn more about my books, writing, and services at KentSanders.net.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to connect and you can tweet me at Kent Sanders or find me on Facebook and Instagram as Kent Sanders.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you'll also check out our Born to Create Facebook group by visiting KentSanders.net slash Facebook group.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember that you were born to create and designed to make a difference.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: What will you do with the time you have left?