Jillian Lauren, New York Times Best-Selling Author of "Behold the Monster"
This episode features New York Times bestselling author, Jillian Lauren, discussing empathy, storytelling, and creativity. Jillian's diverse creative background includes memoirs, true crime, film scripts, TV pilots, and contributions as a newspaper contributor.
1. Creative Fluidity Across Mediums
- Jillian emphasizes her ability to flow freely between different creative mediums.
- The core of her creative expression lies in the journey and hero's journey archetype.
2. Moment of Creative Intensity
- Jillian shares a recent creative moment in her life, highlighting the gravity and responsibility she felt during the creation of "Behold the Monster."
- Acknowledges the challenges of delving into difficult material and how it affects her creative process.
3. Addressing Writer's Block and Discipline
- Jillian challenges the concept of writer's block and emphasizes the importance of discipline.
- Shares her hardass approach to teaching memoir writing and the belief that consistency leads to successful book writing.
4. Creativity as a Constant Challenge
- Discusses the misconception that creativity is supposed to get easier over time.
- Mentions the psychological concept of "The Reversal of Desire" and the continuous challenge of carving neural pathways in the brain.
5.Cross-Medium Creativity
- Jillian talks about her experiences writing screenplays and teleplays, both adaptations and originals.
- Highlights the reciprocal relationship between writing books and creating screenplays.
- Encourages creatives to learn other skills, play musical instruments, or engage in other creative activities to stimulate different parts of the brain.
- Advocates for embracing curiosity and expanding one's creative repertoire.
Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson
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