If you've watched Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, you might be familiar with Charlie Kaufman, a renowned yet humble screenwriter. I can't say it's my favorite movie of all times, but its rawness and authenticity left a deep impresssion. I came across Kaufman lecture on YouTube and was surprised by his honesty. His nervousness was genuine, so was his passion for writing in its sincerest form.
It was Kaufman's first time giving a speech and you could see him sweating and fidgeting. Yet, despite his nervousness, he delivered one of the most heartfelt pieces of advice for all writers and creatives alike. Highly recommend the full clip & here are some of my favorite quotes.
On "Being Yourself":
This is from E. E. Cummings: ‘To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.’ The world needs you. It doesn’t need you at a party having read a book about how to appear smart at parties – these books exist, and they’re tempting – but resist falling into that trap. The world needs you at the party starting real conversations, saying, ‘I don’t know,’ and being kind.
On Approval Cravings:
The speaker knows this. He believes he has considered every possible audience reaction. He wants to be liked by them, he wants to be admired and adored, he wants to be found attractive. He hates himself for this, this is the stuff that it always comes down to and his goal here tonight was to be different. He wants to be real. Real in this contrived place. But he can’t be. The truth suddenly stares him in the face, this is who he is, this is the real him. This needy, wanting thing. Up here for the same aggrandisement as everyone else who does this. ‘Look at me.’