The shelf was filled with books that were hard to read, that could devastate and remake one’s soul, and that, when they were finished, had a kick like a mule.
-Mark Helprin, author
One of the most absolute joys of my creative life is writing and producing television and radio promotion packages for Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Never a day went by when I didn’t thank the gods for the opportunity (pun intended) – to cut promos with one of my great creative partners, J. Churchill Morgan, and the rest of the crew at Crawford Post in Atlanta, GA, to work with a most excellent show production crew in L.A., New Zealand and Canada … and to laugh -spontaneous and pure- throughout the entire experience.
Every once in a while, I look through my box of treasures from that time and reminisce: Gabrielle’s leather journal she carried at the beginning of her adventures with Xena; a box of homemade Hercules and Xena Christmas cards we wrote that we sent to the post production crew (Happy Birthday, Jesus! From Zeus, King of the Gods); song lyrics set to the Hercules theme music that were inspired by Kevin Sorbo’s fabulous mane (Hercules, will you help me please? I’m having a bad hair day!). Hours and hours … and hours … of fun times, which amaze me still. I can never call it work.
This is why I’m sharing a video interview with Kevin Sorbo, who talks about his life and his new book, True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal–and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life.
As I was experiencing one of the most productive and enjoyable times of my career, our main character –our hero- was at a precipice. And I have to say, as part of this crazy, glorious crew headed by Rob Tapert … never did Kevin’s pain encroach on us making a promo deadline, never did it show in the raw footage we screened, never once did we suffer while he was suffering. In Atlanta, at Tribune Creative Service Group, in the halls and edit suites, his work simply gave us joy.
And I’ll always be grateful to him for that.
While in college, a mystic tells me I remind her of “a red arrow in a white room.” This visual -and the idea behind it– influences me today, especially when it comes to creating my work. I keep thinking about bringing “Red Arrow/White Room” to life with a personal inspiration video.
Structure: visuals, graphics, music and the spoken word. Silence may also work for this project, too. Moments of silence, anyway.
I have a graphic artist friend who is returning to school; she needs a school project (or should I say experiment?) and I can offer up mine to her. She could create the visuals/graphics.
I could do my own music search online to find a suitable piece of music (or many edited together).
Probably use my own voice as voiceover (voice in my head, so to speak).
About 3:00 in length (Three is one of my “numbers”).
My own vision has an ancient wisdom sensibility; it summons the universal mind as it were to evoke a creative call to action for me … and ultimately others searching for creative motivation.
First line: RED ARROW ENTERS WHITE ROOM … What next?
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On July 15, Friday Night Lights ends its five-year run. And recently, the folks behind the Emmy Awards announced four nominations garnered by the cast and crew: Outstanding Lead Actor, Outstanding Lead Actress, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Best Drama Series. So well deserved.
This television show is one of my favorites. Drawn to it initially by the fantastic cast headlined by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, I’ve been introduced to so many talented actors, all playing characters I’ve come to love. Life –and football- in Dillon, Texas are pretty interesting to me because of them.
Friday Night Lights is the sort of show you can’t help but record because you want to watch it slowly –watch parts again, really savor the work. You can save up a few episodes to watch together –”serious TV time,” I call it. It’s a joy, a learning experience, moments of appreciation that television could be that good.
Few shows make it to my “serious TV time” … Picket Fences, The Sopranos and Northern Exposure are in there. Of course, now there’s On Demand and Hulu and all sorts of ways to watch your favorite shows, but this Friday night, I’ll be doing my serious TV time, watching several saved up FNL episodes in honor of Peter Berg and everyone associated with it – including the series finale.
And as far as the Emmys are concerned, I watch several of the shows nominated for Best Drama Series … but I hope Friday Night Lights wins this year. It would be proper thanks for the inspired storytelling.
Right now in Toronto, Moses Znaimer’s ideacity11 conference is in full swing. Also known as “Canada’s Premier Meeting of the Minds,” ideacity reminds me of a three-day TED talk for “the 600 privileged to attend.” Those unable to be there can watch featured talks and more from the website.
I’m thinking of the very first time I heard of Moses Znaimer. He spoke at a Promax confab. The co-founder of Citytv so rocked everyone’s world with what he had to say, that he honored the group with an encore performance –this is the one I witnessed. Not that I wouldn’t have gone to his original gig; I remember being drawn to his photo in the program (to the left). I just wasn’t allowed to go at the time. Which is fodder for another post.
Nevertheless, Moses did not disappoint. Back then, he was leading a “Television Revolution,” presenting his ideas about media production, punctuated with innovative Citytv video expressing his theories in action:
Television is the triumph of the image over the printed word.
Print created illiteracy. TV is democratic. Everybody gets it.
The true nature of television is flow, not show; process, not conclusion.
As worldwide television expands the demand for local programming increases.
The best TV tells me what happened to me, today.
TV is as much about the people bringing you the story as the story itself.
In the past, TV’s chief operating skill was political. In the future it will be -it will have to be- mastery of the craft itself.
TV creates immediate consensus, subject to immediate change.
There never was a mass audience, except by compulsion.
Television is not a problem to be managed, but an instrument to be played.
It was exhilarating at the time. Much still tingles today, doesn’t it?
For those of the thinking persuasion, it’s not only a desire, but a passionate need to meet with others of their tribe and -well- think together every once in a while. Author and teacher Robert Grudin calls it, The Grace of Great Things. At least for me, it is.
Moses may like the sound of that, too.
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I learned recently that the Greek root of the word, enthusiasm literally means “inside God,” interpreted as being inspired or possessed by divinity.
What is your last enthusiastic response? Does it bring you joy?
My most enthusiastic response is re-dedication to my yoga practice. I come away from class in a state of grace, joyful, in the present moment. And it flows into everything else that I set my mind to. Enthusiastically. Like the vinyasa I practice … inhale, move through deadlines … exhale …set my mind at ease.
The release is my play.
The effervescence is the laughter of my soul.
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I wake this morning to hear Louis Armstrong singing softly in my head:
“…I see friends shaking hands, sayin’ ‘How do you do?’ They’re really sayin’, ‘I love you’ …”
How powerful is that?
The Sufi master Rumi writes words about the morning water and a poet. “The wine of nonexistence makes us God-drunk,” he says. “Intoxicated that way, we are purified.” It is the poet who pours this wine through poetry. “Read from your soul. Let it bring you morning water and a poet.” Surely a poet brings my morning water to me today.
Japanese Nation of the world, this goes out to you.
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I’m thinking of everyone in the world today. Keeping us in my prayers, as we dig out from impressive snowstorms, witness emotional, life-changing global events … and simply move on through our days. Mother Nature may seem like a harsh mistress at times. Or perhaps a wake-up call.
What can I say that isn’t already said so eloquently by Sting? How fragile we are…
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There’s a lot of hoopla surrounding the zodiac and horoscopes lately, but it doesn’t change the experience I get from reading Free Will Astrology. Or the inspiration. It’s my little dose of pronoia (the antidote for paranoia), every time I read from Rob Brezsny‘s newsletter or weekly horoscope reading.
This week, Rob tells Sagittarians (among other things), “In the Beauty and Truth Lab parlance, ‘Uber-Fun’ (always capitalized) refers to righteous delight that inspires you to shed limiting beliefs, thereby making you trickier, smarter, kinder, and wilder. Go out and have some Uber-Fun.” It’s his “sacred advertisement” for us archers.
I have to say, Rob only has to tell me this once. And it has nothing to do with what the stars say.
My dad got me interested in the zodiac when I was a little girl. And I’ve been reading my horoscope ever since. I wonder sometimes what he’d think of Free Will Astrology. I know what I think: it’s my constant source of joy and delight. Not to mention Uber-Fun.
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