Creativity can feel like a curse when you stop craving inspiration, when you find the work of your peers "better" than your own, when you no longer sense that itch to create anything. It's not depression, its more like dissatisfaction, but with who or what?
Brian Selznick personifies this feeling of absence beautifully through his character, Hugo Cabret:
"Did you ever notice that all machines are made for some reason?. . .
They are built to make you laugh. . .or to tell the time, like clocks, or to fill you with wonder, like the automaton. Maybe that's why a broken machine always makes me a little sad, because it isn't able to do what it was meant to do. . .Maybe it's the same with people. . .
If you lose your purpose, it's like you're broken."
If you're a fan of the French film, Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, you will love Scorsese's, HUGO. It has that same spark of wonder + Paris. The story originates from a 500+ paged book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, written by author and illustrator, Brian Selznick. I went into the theater expecting to see a children's film, but it was really so much more: A busy train station in Paris, an enchanting music score, gorgeous costumes, an incredible cast, an automaton that draws, hysterical dogs, antique toys, an inspirational representation of books...and a fabulous homage to Georges Méliès - the magician/filmmaker responsible for the first science fiction film, Le Voyage dans la lune (A trip to the Moon), realized in 1902.
Scorsese and Selznick should team up and give a talk about their creative collaboration for this project. I'm fascinated by Selznick's ability to piece together such a real yet wondrous story.
And so I ponder, when we feel like we've lost our purpose, what then? Can a conference, an inspirational speaker, a sacrificial pilgrimage etc...break the spell?
Images below were borrowed from official site, click here. The bubbly display was created by me.
Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS!
