So why did we evolve a large brain if it wasn’t essential for toolmaking? One reason is that existing in a large social group is very mentally taxing. Those who are better at playing the social game will have more access to mates and resources and will be more likely to reproduce. As the groups get larger, so the computational power needed to keep up with the interconnections grows exponentially, as does the stress.
I’m too often stressed out (ever / at all is too often!) It helps to get really clear on what exactly is stressing me out. Because the complexity of relationships is a feature—not a problem—of our expansive, beautiful, wonderful, modern world.
What perspectives and approaches can podcast creators adopt from fields like anthropology, filmmaking, and sound design to improve their craft?
Julie Angel describes herself as multi-passionate. She’s a filmmaker, author, podcaster, movement coach and breath-work expert. Julie joins Craig to share her insights on creativity and the transformative power of movement and breathing.
[…] you got to get out of your own way. And for me the sign of a really great conversation, or recording, is at the end of it I’m like— I always ask myself: Was that really good, or like, ‘meh’. And if it was really good, then it’s just like, ‘it was really good!’ Then if someone says, ‘what did you talk about?’ I’m not sure. I don’t know. I was just in it. […] My kind of deconstruction is how did I feel at the end of it. And that’s it.
~ Julie Angel (20:40)
Julie Angel, a filmmaker and parkour coach, describes the intricacies of her creative process and the challenges she faces in her work. She emphasizes the importance of feedback in creative pursuits, advocating for seeking critical perspectives from those who know and love her. This approach, she argues, is vital for maintaining objectivity and ensuring continuous growth in her craft.
Through the conversation, Julie reflects on the nature of creativity, highlighting the paradox of freedom in artistic expression. She recounts experiences where limitless options in filmmaking, contrary to expectations, proved to be daunting rather than liberating. This leads to a broader discussion about the necessity of constraints in fostering creativity, where she points out that limitations often spur innovation and novel approaches to storytelling and artistic expression.
Julie also explores the concept of flow state, particularly in the context of engaging dialogues and creative work. She describes this state as a measure of the quality of her interactions and creative output, where being deeply immersed in the process is a key indicator of success. Her insights extend to the realm of parkour coaching, where she draws parallels between physical movement and mental creativity. Julie underscores the transformative power of parkour, not just as a physical discipline, but as a medium for personal growth and self-expression.
She shares anecdotes and lessons from her coaching experiences, illustrating how parkour transcends physical boundaries and becomes a metaphor for overcoming life’s obstacles. This intertwining of physical and creative agility forms a central theme of the conversation, shedding light on Julie’s multifaceted perspective on life and art.
Takeaways
Creative Feedback — The importance of seeking critical feedback from trusted individuals to maintain objectivity and foster growth.
Limitations in Creativity — How constraints can paradoxically enhance creativity, that having too many options can be overwhelming and less productive for a creative mind.
Flow State in Conversations — Flow state as a key indicator of a successful conversation or recording, where being deeply immersed signifies quality and fulfillment.
Parkour as a Metaphor — How the discipline serves not just as a physical activity but as a metaphor for overcoming life’s challenges, emphasizing personal growth and resilience.
Artistic Freedom versus Structure — The challenges of having complete creative freedom, illustrating how structured limitations can actually spur more innovative and meaningful artistic work.
Interplay of Physical and Mental Agility — The connection between physical movement in parkour and mental creativity, underscoring the parallel skills required in both realms.
Transformative Power of Movement — How movement, specifically through parkour, can be transformative, offering insights into its impact on personal development and self-expression.
Resources
JulieAngel.com — Julie’s website with various free resources, including a movement snacks guide and a crawling quadrupedal movement guide, along with her films, podcasts, and coaching information.
The Curious Midlife — Julie Angel’s podcast available as audio wherever you listen, and on YouTube with video.
Movement of 3 — Julie’s film made with three of her friends: “A film I made with my friends Annty Marais- parkour coach, mover, athlete; Fizz Hood – movement artist, stunt woman and parkour coach, & Shirley Darlington parkour coach with Parkour Generations. Women see. Women Do. Women Move.”
Breaking the Jump.” — Julie’s book about Parkour: “But more than a sport that most jaw-dropped onlookers can hardly comprehend, Parkour is an exploration of movement and a return to our body’s natural ability to run, jump, hang and move with fluidity.”
Ciné Parkour — “A cinematic and theoretical contribution to the understanding of the practice of parkour.”
British filmmaker Shane Meadows is mentioned in relation to his work and approach to filmmaking.
The 5 Obstructions is noted as a documentary featuring filmmaker Lars von Trier.
The other day I read a one-year-ago journal entry, and had a strong impression of having a long-distance conversation. Although I had not the slightest memory of writing the entry, it was clearly me. In fact, the me writing in those moments past, had something striking to say to the me reading a year later. Something insightful. Nearly poetic. Definitely useful.
The entry wasn’t from a depressed past–me. It wasn’t from a hopeful past–me. It was from someone who clearly had insight, who had thoughtfully crafted some phrasing, and who had included quotations for thematic punctuation. This happens to me a lot— nearly daily. I’m so glad that past me took the time (for it really does take prodigious amounts of time) to write that entry. And so I keep writing to myself in my journal.
Other times I find things in my journal that were clearly important—way too important—at the time, but I can’t recall the feeling. Sometimes I can’t even recall the event or project.
All of which serves to provide me with perspective and guidance on the faux urgencies and importanties of my todays.
When you’re able to recognize what’s happening and be deliberate with your actions, setbacks don’t have to be as painful. Coming out on the other side ready to recommit to your path requires that you harness all the skills you have learned and apply them to rest, reflect, recalibrate, and then get back on track.
Linda McLachlan is the host and creative spark behind The Arena. Our conversation began with the topic of storytelling. I was interested in learning how she was using storytelling in the context of her podcast. In particular, I wondered if her thoughts on storytelling had changed after applying it to podcasting.
In The Arena, Linda uses a mostly consistent set of questions to power her conversation with her guests. This started as a backbone around which, in each conversation, she could find other questions to ask and build it out. Unexpectedly, the story that comes out each time is quite different.
TAKE ACTION — “Action’s ecstasy is instantaneous and compounding: Even if for the millionth time, it works its magic. Its trigger is sure: All you do is peel your ass off the bottom of whatever hole you are in, and climb!” ~ Bryan Ward
Are you surprised by your thoughts’, and your mind’s, complexity? Are you amazed? Are you empowered?
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Arrived in the middle? Visit the first post, Where to begin? (The entire series is available to download as a PDF ebook.)
In this place, you remove yourself from the busy world and find space for quiet. For reflection. For contemplation, setting intentions, reviewing how things have gone. For gratitude and appreciation for life.
You might meditate, relax, read, journal. You might take a walk in nature, or find solitude. You might just mindfully enjoy the space.
What I like about this prompting from Babauta is that it’s about creating space for retreat and reflection; it’s not about necessarily going to some specific, special place. I’ve spent several years arranging and rearranging my life to create space for retreat and reflection in my daily life. It’s not easy. It hasn’t been easy. …on me or on those around me. I had gotten to the place I was gradually by taking small steps, day after day, in the wrong direction. So turning around was difficult, and beginning to walk back was close to impossible.
But it was possible. It is possible.
Do you have 5 minutes every day where you can retreat and reflect? If you don’t, try it for a few days. Set aside a specific time and work to arrange your life (including the people in your life) to make that small space sacred.
You don’t know if your idea is any good the moment it’s created. Neither does anyone else. The most you can hope for is a strong gut feeling that it is. And trusting your feelings is not as easy as the optimists say it is. There’s a reason why feelings scare us.
And asking close friends never works quite as well as you hope, either. It’s not that they deliberately want to be unhelpful. It’s just they don’t know your world one millionth as well as you know your world, no matter how hard they try, no matter how hard you try to explain.
There are so many ideas that can be tried. But knowing which ones to try, which ones to stick with, and which ones to stick with beyond the point of sanity is the hard point. It’s important to find a balance between some things which are fulfilling and a sure-thing, and some things which are inspiring and impossible.
And you know why I do it? I need that help, too. I get tired, angry, upset, emotional, cranky, irritable, frustrated and I need to be reminded from time to time to choose to be the better version of myself. I don’t always succeed. But I want to. And I believe everyone else – for some reasonable statistical value of everyone else – fundamentally does, too.
… Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.
Everything in life is temporary. So if things are going good, enjoy it because it won’t last forever. …and if things are going bad, don’t worry; It won’t last forever either.
