My brain is a well spun bundle of fairy floss. Colourful, certainly, but lacking a coherent structure. Getting any cut-through to a brain in this state, requires considerable substance.
To be struck by intellectual lightning twice, is borderline miraculous.
With that in mind, I have two musings to share with you, worthy of your time.
The first is the words of the great Francis Ford Coppola, who I was fortunate enough to hear speak in person at the Tribeca Film Festival last week.
Mr Coppola described a moment of frustration when, in the wake of 'The Godfather' and its enormous success, he STILL was unable to get his next passion project off the ground.
The project?
'Apocalypse Now'.
At this point, Coppola had five Oscars on his shelf. FIVE. Yet he still could not lift 'Apocalypse Now' off the runway.
And now, angry that his success could not open the doors he wanted, Coppola's Oscar statuettes seemed to be staring at him. Mocking.
So he threw them out the window. Literally.
Enraged. Incensed. Frustrated to the point of discarding what most filmmakers dream to own.
Now bent and broken, in his garden bed.
Thankfully, he told us, his mother called the Academy and explained that "a maid had knocked the statues over while dusting." The Oscars were repaired.
Coppola would eventually manage to secure the finance for 'Apocalypse Now', contributing a large portion of the funds himself. The film would go on to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and be nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including best picture and best director.
But that's not the element of the story you should assimilate. What you need to know is that, even with five Oscars, one of the great film artists of our time needed to push to ensure his vision was realised.
If Mr Coppola can push, so can you.
The second lightning bolt is the brilliant podcast interview of Louis CK, by fellow comedian Marc Maron.
In it, Louis talks at great length about his process to create, self-finance, write, direct and self-distribute his new show 'Horace and Pete'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpxFjrcMt3U
It penetrated my heavy brain fog with ease, so it's a must listen for you all.
Two lightning bolts, in one plane travel filled week.
Thank goodness they were figurative.
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