FIELD NOTES: Making Art Where There's No Map
How the audacity to start—before you know what you're doing—is the only real way to create anything new. A call to action for your most unfinished dreams.
"If you truly love cinema with all your heart and with enough passion,
you can't help but make a good movie."
Create, celebrate, continue. Treat your creative work as a gift to universal inspiration. The art of long term success lies in modesty. For once you "possess" your achievements, identify with them—they start possessing you. Recently I held an interesting debate around the book Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson.
The story unfolds a wise metaphor about four mice seeking cheese. Life presents a big maze with various "rooms"—some empty, others full of precious content—like marching Venice's narrow alleys, many of whom end up dead... The uncertain directions we choose fall down a similar spectrum.
As two out of four mice carefully filter a "bulls eye," the rest goes running regardless the outcome. Their journey is hazardous with small wins along the way that keeps them going. The calculated pair on the other hand, pinpointed a room with such success "they no longer need to continue." As they celebrate, satisfy themselves with huge supplies of cheese, the other two remain sharp—sticking to their adventure. With time, they have become fearless conquerers. While the calculated pair clings to what used to be "paradise," but now feels like "prison."
In summary be mindful how you treat past successes, the glorification by friends, family, strangers… Occasionally, allow yourself a breathing, then take that victory to fuel persistence and more aspirations.
Consider the Road you are Running Today
That brings us to Quentin Tarantino. Someone who knows how to tame his fame, and chooses to play the maze till the end. Quentin puts it this way, "I don't believe you should stay onstage until people are begging you to get off. I like the idea of leaving them wanting a bit more."
Born march 27, 1963, Tennessee—Quentin soon moves to Los Angeles in 1966. Like many great achievers, he shows little interest at school, dropping out at age sixteen. Thus, another field would do the talking.
Fast-forward, Quentin is seen working as a sales assistant at Video Archives: a rental movie store in Manhattan Beach, California. A hub, where he can indulge his childhood obsession, watching films. In five years time, the clock would tick a different scene. One that includes Quentin, a famous movie director up front at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in 1992. Quentin argues, "If you truly love cinema with all your heart and with enough passion, you can’t help but make a good movie."
Mark his words, like those of Yvon Chouinard, Lionel Messi, or Bruce Lee in previous stories. All held to a passion and made it their mission. Quentin Tarantino creates films he soulfully loves so that others can't help but make a movie they will love.
Similar to the "jumpy mice" above, his journey was hard at first. Yet small wins kept him stuff a foot in the next door. For example Cathrin James, his personal manager in 1984—until then he hadn't produced anything significant other than a co-written script named: My Best Friend’s Birthday. She made it very clear to Quentin: "An aspiring director with no connections… Make your own low budget film and write at least three strong scripts1."
And so his first issue: True Romance, was born. No one, from Hollywood Studios to production companies cared, till it crossed Stanley's hands: a producer of two feature films. He promised to succeed in exchange for a percentage. Little did Quentin know, this would become the blueprint for all his stories.
Beset with uncertainty, he follows Cathrin's advice, drafting a second script: Natural Born Killers. At this point he hasn't seen a dime from writing, and thus keeps working at Video Archives. This is about to change in 1990 when he gets offered a writing gig and meets Scott, co-writer of The Rookie—starring Clint Eastwood.
Besides Quentin's enthusiasm, his networking skills prove useful. Scott starts inviting Quentin to all kinds of events, including a barbecue where he is introduced to Lawrence Bender: producer of Intruder—that gets hooked on Natural Born Killers once Quentin unleashes his 30 seconds' pitch. Meanwhile, something else is brewing… An idea about a heist gone wrong: Reservoir Dogs (the script that would make Quentin Tarantino a star). Quentin stresses, "there are a lot of bad screenplays out there—so if you write a good one, people will respond."
The next day, Quentin gets to work. In a mere four weeks, he delivers on his promise for a producer he believes in. At that stage, True Romance breaks through on a $30 million production of which Tarantino receives fifty thousand dollars.
Aware about a hot script in hand, Quentin is determined to direct Reservoir Dogs—even if it costs his savings. Lawrence suggests something bigger… Three months later the film hits a budget of 1.3 million dollars backed by Monte Hellman, a famous Hollywood director/actor on the list2.
Tarantino now holds a free pass to direct Reservoir Dogs, and takes a two-week crash course in intensive directing. He naturally slips into his role and forges a spectacular movie. One that has actors rave about, creating incredible advance buzz. As soon it screens at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992, doors open in every direction for the coming director. The beginning of a series of conquests that will mark him as one of the most influential directors of his time. His second film: Pulp Fiction, scripted from an Amsterdam apartment would soon make him a legend…
It is interesting to emphasise Quentin's background in filmmaking when triumphant with Reservoir Dogs. As a director he has witnessed and learned that one shouldn't know everything… That his job is to convey a vision to those individuals3, and artists who understand it. Tarantino has essentially mastered the ability to see talent in people—not to mention the art of modesty. Quentin stresses, "If you want to make a movie, make it. Don’t wait for a grant, don’t wait for the perfect circumstances, just make it." Like the "jumpy mice," he dove right in—embracing the adventure and choosing to become a fearless conquerer.
The greatest films, stories, and movements often begin with people saying, "We have no idea how—let’s just try." Mastery is discovered in the making, not in waiting for permission or certainty.
My question for our community is this: What personal project or creative ambition have you kept on pause, waiting for a roadmap or the "right" time? What's one imperfect first step you could take, this week, to turn your idea from a wish into something tangible?
I look forward to reading your reflections in the private members' discussion.
Trust the hunch. Find the story.
Antoine
O’Murchu, C 2014, How did Tarantino make it to the top in Hollywood? Lessons you can learn from his experience, Indie Filmmaking Passion, accessed 22 January 2023, <https://colmomurchu.com/how-did-tarantino-make-it-to-the-top-in-hollywood-lessons-you-can-learn-from-his-experience/>.
Quentin Tarantino Fan Club 2023, Quentin Tarantino talking about Reservoir Dogs at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, accessed 24 January 2023, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ks7Xe2JNVc/>.
Carmichael, E 2017, If You Really LOVE IT, You Can DO IT! - Quentin Tarantino - Top 10 Rules, accessed 22 January 2023, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXSh3p6THv0/>.
another inspiring story - i feel energized!