It's all been done before...or has it?

I've just watched Napoleon Dynamite for the first time. Several years too late but after being put off by Jon Heder from a small snippet and putting the film down ever since, I'm old enough to see the error of my ways and admit that I was wrong, this film was awesome (and he indeed is awesome). As a writer and actor myself I suppose, seeing a film maker and lead actor giving us a film and performance that's so original is brave and inspiring.

I sat today trying to think of a new script idea and after squeezing the creative sponge all day....nothing happened, except for thinking of the term "creative sponge".

I saw a documentary about Nick Cave, a man of whom I am a big admirer, and he said that he works in a tiny office away from his home, which has a desk, piano and like psychiatrist’s lounge, that's it. No computers, no contact, no distraction. And he'll stay in there all day and sometimes will only come up with one line of a song.....but the day has been worth it because of that. I'm also an admirer of his discipline.

I'm currently toying with a few feature film ideas and a new show idea for the festival circuit next year. I find myself watching things to find inspiration, but instead I battle the impulse to recreate what I've just seen, or find another way to tell the same joke. I've worked with people in the past who will blatantly rip off other peoples work but I always find that trying to find something that hasn't been done before...although far more difficult........so much more rewarding. Trying to work out equations of characters and stories that haven't been told in such a way is exciting and rewarding when it falls into place. There will always be someone that doesn't like it, but that really shouldn't let that effect the creative process.

I heading back to Melbourne soon with a head full of ideas and a heavily pregnant wife which inevitably will inspire me even more I hope. I wanna have a few bits of finished work by the end of this year that I'm proud of and can be performed on film or stage in the not so distant future. Maybe when I get back I'll look into buying one of those quack's couches!!

Until then...next film... The Big Labowski.

d x