The King's Speech screenwriter compares his creative process to his passion for angling -- casting a weightless fly out into the water, waiting for something from the deep to surface and take a bite. He shares this beautiful metaphor and so much more in this Academy Originals video.

Creativity is tapping into a hidden source -- to be in touch with the unconscious or the subconscious pool of creativity. Can I dip into that well and lift a bucket full of it?

Listening to Seidler reminds me of sitting on the porch with my grandfather as he shared the story of how he wooed my grandmother -- he taught me that if you meet a beautiful woman from another country, she will be completely lovestruck if you learn her language (a piece of advice I've taken to heart, though I think it might've worked better in the 40s). My grandfather's approach to finding love and Seidler's approach to finding creativity is one of patience and persistence, which are qualities that are difficult to have in a world full of fast food, on-demand TV, and 160-character limits. 

If there's just one thing to take away from Seidler's story, I'd say it'd be that we should all take some time to slow down and give our ideas a chance to come to us. As a writer looking for inspiration, many times I feel like I'm a cheetah chasing a herd of gazelles, and sometimes, if I'm quick, and agile, and smart, and lucky enough, I'm able to snag one. This process can often lead one to feel weary, too spent to actually enjoy the spoils, but maybe approaching creativity the way Seidler does, casting your line into the water and patiently waiting for something to nibble, will encourage new life to spring up from your imagination.

Or perhaps we're all fly fishermen -- we just haven't switched out our lures in a while.

Source: Academy Originals

Academy OriginalsDavid Seidlerwritingwriting processwritingprocesscreativity
Screenwriting