B efore I share more, let me give you a hint about what this post is all about. The ‘Mystery Train’ is memory, an immortal line of carriages full of all the people you’ve ever met, never met, thought of, know now, and will meet again – and they’re all just waiting for you to sit down for a chat. So climb onboard and settle in for a little ride on the Mystery Train, as we’ll explore the roots of story, character, and experience.
Tag: creativity
What’s in a Story?
E verywhere you look, corporate story engines are influencing billions of people and raking in trillions of dollars in the process; crowding our devices like an aggressive gaggle of garrulous Carny Hawkers desperate to sell us everything from toothpaste, to ideology, to hookups. My goal here is to play through all that noise, and help you understand & master the universal ‘What’s’ in every story – because these ‘What’s,’ are at the heart of your own high-powered story engine.
Be Magnificently Simple!
M agnificent Simplicity is the awe inspiring creative framework of our existence, and my peaceful battlecry, ‘Be Simple,’ reflects the most important path to power that I can share with you. The ‘Be’ is Being: Your essential ground of existence; and ‘Simple’ is the process of staying connected to that Being, so to be Magnificently Simple – is to Simply, Be.
Anatomy of a ‘Creative’ – Chapter Two
Standing is Essential – Physically, it keeps you fit; emotionally, it keeps you strong; intellectually, it gives you perspective; and spiritually, it represents your connection to you earthly journey. And when you choose to stand, you set the wheels of creativity in motion, and make magic happen.
I ‘ve mentioned a few of the amazing folks, from Norman Lear to Ray Bradbury, et al. that I’ve ‘Stood With’ over the years, and it’s through their example that I learned what ‘Standing Up’ is all about. Throughout the long arc of their lives they developed a profound understanding that their ‘Standing’ in the world depended on how much positive creativity they shared with us; how committed they were to ‘Standing For’ the people, places, causes & beliefs that underpinned their beliefs & vision; and how solid their ‘Standing On’ reflected the collective power of our shared creative purpose.
Creative Gravity 2 – Fearless Imagination Unleashed!
Are you currently – or have ever been – stumped for Ideas, or experienced a drop in your ‘Creative’ output? If you said ‘Yes’ to either one, you are suffering from a ‘weak’ Creative Gravitational link to Fearless Imagination. Why do I use ‘Fearless’ Imagination, instead of ‘your’ or ‘the’ Imagination? Because ‘Fearless’ is what true Imagination is; and it will produce amazing Ideas for you to play with, if you are courageous enough to step past your ‘Fears,’ and empty your mind to it’s loving embrace. Continue reading “Creative Gravity 2 – Fearless Imagination Unleashed!”
The Ultimate Writer’s* Toolkit – Chapter 2
B ut Scott! You just said we have to move past the ‘E,’ absolutely correct! But moving past it, doesn’t mean that it evaporates like a bad dream. Ego, when applied properly, is a scribbler’s delight. How? Well, I hate to annoy the enlightened souls out there, but stripping the world of ego, also strips it of conflict, and conflict my dear scribblers, is the lifeblood of all fiction. Without it we would sit around the maypole in blissful satiety, singing ‘Kumbaya’ ’till the cows came home. So today we’re going to put ego in it’s proper place and practice using it the way it was intended, to help us build powerful stories.
Continue reading “The Ultimate Writer’s* Toolkit – Chapter 2”
Action = Your Creativity in Motion
If you read ‘Your Creative Gravity – and how to hack it’ you already know that creativity is the act of rubbing two or more ideas together to create Action; now I want to connect and expand on that by adding ‘Your ‘Fierce’ Perception’ (FP) to the mix. Your FP starts the ball rolling by placing your attention on the Big Picture. When you follow the electric pull of the most emotionally charged of your perceptions, you’re moving toward dazzling creative opportunity. Continue reading “Action = Your Creativity in Motion”
Your ‘Fierce’ Perception – An Owner’s Manual
The word fierce is from the old French fiers: ‘Fierce, brave, proud’, and from the Latin ferus: ‘Untamed.’ So your ‘Fierce’ Perception is the courageous, perceptual engine of your untamed consciousness. Why is it courageous? Keep reading my friend, because drama is anticipation, mingled with uncertainty!
Continue reading “Your ‘Fierce’ Perception – An Owner’s Manual”
Anatomy of a ‘Creative’ – Chapter One
When I hear the old saying, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” I sincerely get it. All the paths we take and choices we make, become the roadmap of our lives. But they don’t define us. We are so much more than biography, and the most sublime joys of life can be easily found in the peak experiences that reveal our inner selves.
So let’s get this show on the road with a little personal story that will provide you with a ‘slider’ sized map of my anatomical journey from film lover – to film maker, which you can apply to everything you love to do… Continue reading “Anatomy of a ‘Creative’ – Chapter One”
The Ultimate Writer’s* Toolkit – Chapter One
The greatest thing about writing is that there are NO RULES! And the most terrifying thing about writing is that there are NO RULES! My dearest South Philly wise woman, Maryanne, called writers (and artists) ‘Scribblers,’ which I like a whole lot better than the more formal and emotionally charged title of ‘Writer.’ So let’s be scribblers together and adopt the following motto: “Use Tools, Not Rules,” and open up this wordsmith’s toolkit for a look-see. Continue reading “The Ultimate Writer’s* Toolkit – Chapter One”