Quick Notes and Links:
Glamorizing the Awards Season (the Golden Globes, Oscars, etc.) makes it hard for creatives to measure their own creative success.
Every month is Black History Month and Black creatives, their histories, legacies, contributions and accomplishments will be folded into our weekly get-together on this show because it’s part of the Creative4evr mission statement.
If you want people to experience your creativity more than once, then thinking about your audience is important.
Successful creatives are very clear on who their audience is and they intentionally deliver to that audience over and over again. No one accidentally gains and maintains an audience.
Think outside of the box when it comes to making art just for yourself...you’re not really doing that anyway. You’re making art for people in your bubble, however big or small that bubble may be.
It's impossible to make art for "everyone." If you’re trying to make something that reaches everyone, that pleases everyone, your work will suffer.
Best practice: Your creative themes should be UNIVERSAL. The audience for your creativity should be TARGETED.
If you can’t figure out who your audience should be, it probably means you aren’t clear about what it is you’re wanting to create.
Finding your Audience:
1) Go back to the beginning. What is your idea and why is it important to you?
2) Gather feedback from the audience you have. Ask questions about what they enjoy/dislike, want more of.
3) Research the audiences of other people doing what you do.
Other Links:
> Three Reasons Why Your Creative Work Needs An Audience
> Eye of the Beholder: Art and its Audience
> How Authors Can Find Their Ideal Reading Audience
> How To Define Your Target Audience
> Your Target Market
Don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.
Full Show Notes:
Hey, hi and hello! Welcome to Creative4evr. The podcast dedicated to keeping you forever inspired, forever motivated, forever creative, and forever YOU. I am your host, Janet, a.k.a. Jai//Em, a.k.a. the voice inside your head, a.k.a. your biggest fan, and together we’re going to get some creative shit done.
Today! We’re gonna talk about audience. I am really happy to have this chat. I’ve been very excited about this episode. But first, a February check-in.
So, it’s basically the end of February, 2020 which means Awards Season is over— you know the Golden Globes, the Oscars, the SAG awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, all the awards. That’s done. We are able to put that in a box until next year. We are also knee deep in Black History Month and it is always great to see the events and marketing campaigns that happen in order to bring awareness to Black people and their important (and often overlooked) histories, legacies, contributions, and accomplishments. But I wanted to talk about two items that involve Black History Month and Awards Season just to calibrate you on how Creative4evr treats February.
So, first! Awards and events. Actor and movie awards, especially the Oscars, are always big events at this time of year. And they use to be a big event in my social circles, especially when I lived in Los Angeles. It was our Super Bowl, it was a part of being a creative living in LA. You cared about the Oscars, from what suits and dresses the actors were wearing, to the parties they went to at the end of the night.
But in 2008 I lost my enthusiasm for it. And it was because I realized that I would have these highs and lows. I would swing wildly between I am a creative genius and crippling depression. And all of this was triggered in 2008 when Diablo Cody was nominated for 4 Oscars for the movie Juno, and she won the Oscar for Best Screenplay. The whole story leading up to the Academy Awards was that she had written this script in 7 weeks in a Starbucks. Her winning really affected me because it made me think, This is the measurement, this is how it works. I should be able to write an award-winning something in 7 weeks. But of course I couldn’t do that and because I couldn’t do it, I felt like a failure. And when the awards season crept up again in 2009, all that depression and lack of confidence surfaced again. I would think, I still don’t have a something written, and another year has passed, but Diablo Cody was able to do it 7 weeks, and since I can’t do it I am a failure.
The thing I had loved so much, the time of year where we would drink, and talk trash about movies, and eat lots of food, and get dressed up sometimes, and then nobody goes to work on Monday… I started to hate that time of year. I started to feel like the only way I could WIN that weekend was if I sat down and wrote on that day, instead of enjoying the festivities. It was almost like I was punishing myself. I don’t have what these people have, I’m not winning these awards because I am not working hard enough so on that day I’m gonna work really, really hard. And I would write or do whatever it was to be a better creative person on that day instead of participating in the Oscars.
Now, years later I’ve leveled out. I don’t participate in the awards season, but I don’t hate it with a passion either. Because I don’t think hating the Oscars is the healthy alternative. I think it was important for me to stop consciously or subconsciously using the award show to measure my own success. I didn’t realize I was doing that, I didn’t realize that when I made a big to-do and fuss about the Oscars and celebrating that weekend, I was actually just glamorizing the award show in a way that was unhealthy for me. So in an effort to keep our eyes on the things that accurately measure our success, we won’t do any award season hubbub here. And that goes for book award season and any other franchise or community that builds hype around giving out awards to creatives. We WILL mention worthy accolades when talking about someone or a piece of work, but we will not be in the business of glamorizing the very idea of awarding creative people. It doesn’t do our psyches any good, it doesn’t do our creativity any good, and it gets in the way of each of us deciding how we want to measure our own creative success, because there are a hundred-million ways to measure creative success and that’s a topic we will cover at a later date.
Alright, the 2nd thing you should know about February and the Creative4evr podcast. As I said, February is Black History Month— but, and some of you can guess what I’m about to say. Every month is Black History Month as far I am concerned. We will be talking about Black people often on this show, it’s one of my goals for the podcast and yeah, it’s gonna happen. Now, please understand that I do participate in Black History Month. And you should too. I just want you to know that here on the podcast we will not have a BHM book reading or a special episode brought to you by BHM where we are calling things out just because it’s Feb. Black creatives, their histories, legacies, contributions and accomplishments will be folded into our weekly get-together on this show because it’s part of the Creative4evr mission statement. If you haven’t heard our mission statement, please check out our v...
My good friend Elizabeth and I have a casual chat about Imposter Syndrome and all the things that come with belonging in the spaces we occupy. We reminisce, we laugh, and sing our way to understanding ourselves just a little bit better. In the end we discover that feeling safe in our work environments and remembering the talent and expertise that we bring to the game are just some of the things that help us deal with Imposter Syndrome.
Back out in these streets for the summer and having experience shock! We talk Bears, Bodies, and Road Rage.
You can find us on Twitter and Instagram: @Creative4evr. And if you like what you're hearing and want to donate to the show, I have the link in the show notes -- I would love if you'd buy me a couple of donuts.
Don't forget to be kind to yourself this week. Even if you're not creative! ;D
Back with a look at a star-studded Golden Girls Event on Zoom that made promises it couldn't keep.
Hey, hi, hello it has been forever forever, I have missed you.
Links:
Buy Jai//Em some donuts!
Gladys Knight has a Verzuz with Patti LaBelle
Erykah Badu verzuz Jill Scott
Golden Girls - Zoom Where It Happens
Golden Girls Episode 21/ Season 1 - Flu Attack
Love And Basketball
Aaron Scott sings Golden Girl theme song
A Black Lady Sketch Show - 227
Black Lives Matter
Breonna Taylor Petition
Read Full Show Notes HERE.
You can find us on Twitter and Instagram: @Creative4evr. And if you like what you're hearing and want to donate to the show, I have the link in the show notes -- I would love if you'd buy me a couple of donuts.
Black Lives Matter, Trans Lives Matter, and arrest the cops that murdered Breonna Taylor.
Don't forget to be creative this week, even if you just think about it. I've missed you so much.
Later.
Grab me some donuts!
Top of show lyrics/song: thankful by meltycanon
But first //
Black Lives Matter at 7 Years...
Must watch #1 // Video: Defunding Vs. Abolishing The Police Explained in 6 Minutes
Must watch #2 // Video: What "defund the police" really means
Main Show - Measuring Success //
7 Ways To Measure True Success
20 New Ways to Measure Success
Measuring Success as a Writer or Artist: A Basic Guide to Happiness
9 Things You Should Give Up to be a Successful Artist
How You Should Really Be Measuring Success
Is There a True Measure of Success? How to Define Your Own
5 Mistakes Companies Make When Measuring Success
Video: How Do You Measure Success?
Socials //
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Website
Links:
Buy Jai//Em some donuts!
Beyoncé's Black Is King trailer
How To Watch Hamilton
Hamilton Is Canceled Controversy
Hamilton's America Trailer - PBS "Making Of" Documentary
The Cast Of Hamilton
Creative4evr Instagram
Black Lives Matter
Full Notes:
Hey, hi and hello! Welcome to Creative4evr. The podcast dedicated to keeping you forever inspired, forever motivated, forever creative, and forever YOU. I am your host, Janet, a.k.a. Jai//Em, a.k.a. the voice inside your head, a.k.a. your biggest fan, and together we’re going to get some creative shit done.
Hello, hello! Welcome to the show. What a day! What a week! What a month! What a year! Every moment something new happens, it's a lot and sometimes when I'm working on the scripts for these episodes. I sort of get overwhelmed because there is so much to talk about at any one given time and I just don't know what to do! So today I decided we're gonna talk about Hamilton.
Disney Plus, the streaming service that costs about 15 bucks has released Hamilton for the world to see. Now this is a show that was 300, 400 dollars a ticket even right before covid-19 stopped all of the Broadway shows. It’s a very expensive show that mostly privileged people had access to. So, being able to watch Hamilton from your couch for less than 20 bucks, and then maybe watching The Little Mermaid and watching A Goofy Movie and then four days from now being able to watch Beyoncé's Black is King which is coming out?... I mean, that's worth $20 and I think a lot of people know that, so they either already had Disney Plus or they signed up for it so they could watch Hamilton.
Because so many people that would not usually have access to the this work are getting access to this piece, that's a win for me as an artist…as a former theater major, that's a win for me! That so many people that have access to one of the most hyped, most talked about, extremely unique musicals that has ever existed, that is a win!
Now I had the privilege of seeing Hamilton here in New York City when tickets were $80 and, at the time, I was pissed that it was an $80 ticket. I saw the all of the original cast members, and it blew me away, it really blew me away. Yes, I understand that it's the history of our founding fathers and that it is, you know, not the most historically accurate situation. I am not a die-hard George Washington fan. I'm not a die-hard Alexander Hamilton fan. But, I was blown away and for a number of reasons.
One, I kind of knew what I was going to…but I didn’t. And honestly, I think that's true for many people that experience it for the first time, unless you're one of the people that were listening to the soundtrack before you went, which I didn’t. I like to do things in order. I don't like spoilers, so there was no way I was gonna listen to the soundtrack for musical before I saw it. Anyway, I sat down and was immediately overwhelmed because I just could not believe that this guy and all of these people up on stage. (This guy being Lin-Manuel Miranda who's playing Hamilton who created and wrote everything.) I couldn’t believe they were going to rap for two hours and 40 minutes. I couldn't believe that! And it did not matter to me in the moment if the rapping done by Lin-Manuel Miranda was good or bad, it just mattered to me that this person had figured out how to make an entire two hours and 40 minutes of history (that's pretty accurate) rhyme.
That alone is a reason to watch Hamilton. If you care nothing about anything else, just sit down and watch someone make everything rhyme for three hours while telling you the story of Alexander Hamilton at the same time. It's wild! It feels impossible and yet it is not because that's what LMM did.
I was also blown away by the talent. So again, I don't think Lin-Manuel Miranda is the best rapper, and I have heard that since he left the show as Hamilton and others have taken over, there have been more skilled rappers make his part even more dynamic because it's not only LMM’s words, but it's done by people who are more of the genre than he is. But make no mistake, Lynn had to be the first Hamilton because it was his brainchild. It doesn't matter if he's the best rapper or not, because I don’t think anyone but him could have written those words.
Okay, the rest of the talent on the stage… Everybody came to play. Everybody on that stage knew they were doing something different, that they were doing something special, that they were doing something few people could do, and that they could flex while doing it! And that! Watching other creatives flex, watching other creatives know that they're doing something special that very few people can do. You could feel that energy. When I was in that room, you could feel it. It was dripping all over the place. It was all over the walls. These people knew they were doing something special. They knew they were giving us an experience we had not had before and there's something about that. There's something about that as a creative. That what I want. I want to one day feel like I am connecting with people and providing something that is out of this world and that they almost can't believe is happening. So awesome! I think I will have to become a rock star in order to do that. I don't know that I can do that as a writer or podcaster, because it's not live and with you. I'm not with you right now and if you read a book that I write at any point, I won't be with you but man if I ever get on a stage… That's what I want.
What also blew me away is very obvious. It’s that the entire stage was full of black and brown people. And you know that was part of the flex too because you've got all of these people up there that are triple threats you have to be a triple-threat to be in musical theater, certainly to be on Broadway. You gotta be able to sing, dance and act. But these people were going further than that. They were also rapping. Quadruple threat… is that a thing? To sing, to dance, to rap, and to act? And that was part of the, holy shit. There are even fewer people that can do this.
When I first came to New York City, I was 18…? 17. I was gonna be a freshman in college and thought I was gonna be, you know, on Broadway. Not necessarily doing musical theater, but definitely in plays. And I remember just sort of being an awe of people on stage when I would go see plays. I was in awe of the memorization that it took I was in awe that these people did these shows eight times a week, that they were able to play to the back of the house. You know what I mean? So big and larger than life that the people sitting in the back row understand the emotion on stage, understand the pain, happiness, joy or sadness that's happening even if they're sitting far away. I was just in awe of that sort of thing.
But nothing changed my life like seeing the musical, RENT for the first time. When I saw RENT for the first time that's when it clicked. That art could change how you see the world. Change what you think is possible. Change how you feel.
And in a profound way, not just in the moment. Not in the, Oh, that changed how I felt this afternoon for a moment. I mean change how you feel about life. And I have to say, when I saw RENT for the first time felt transported and like my life was changing forever, it wasn...
Quick links:
Minstrel Show
NYT: 1619 Project - Blackface, Appropriation & Black music
Show Notes:
Hey, hi and hello! Jai//Em here with a quickie about blackface.
Right now, this week, last week, today, yesterday, probably tomorrow and the day after that… we are canceling episodes of TV shows and canceling movies. When there's blackface, when a white person is playing a black animated character, all of that's going away. And people are freaking out about it.
Tina Fey has requested that four episodes of 30 Rock be removed. The guy that plays Cleveland on Family Guy is a white man (if you didn't know I think his name is Mike Henry). He has stepped down from playing Cleveland. Jenny Slate is no longer playing a biracial character on the animated show. Many British TV shows have had to pull episodes (a lot of British blackface going on, I’m sure many of you are not surprised). The Office has cut a scene from the episode that had blackface in it, so you can still watch the episode, but the scene has been re-cut. Community has removed a black face situation, and the latest is that the Golden Girls has removed the episode “Mixed Feelings” where Michael, Dorothy son, and Lorraine, an older black woman, get together and get married. And that is because in the episode Blanche and Rose walk into the room wearing mud masks while Lorraine's family is in the room, and they have to defend themselves because it's not blackface, it’s mud masks…
Listen, we have a lot of shows with racist bullshit in them and they need to come down. Think about it this way, the writers on the show decided that in the show with the black people they needed some jokes. What could they do?.... Ok, we’ll put Rose and Blanche in mud masks and then they'll defend their blackface as just being mud masks! It will be funny and awkward because, of course, it's not black face!... But now you're writing something that puts them in blackface on the show.
You’re putting people in fake blackface for a non-blackface, blackface joke. And then producers on the show, the people behind the scenes, all the way up to the top, do you know what I mean? All the way up-- it's a Disney produced show right the Golden Girls falls under ABC and Disney! That's bad. It's bad that hundreds of people in each of these cases -- The office, 30 Rock, all of these British shows were talking about, Family Guy, Community. It's bad that hundreds of people are okay with this before we even see it. That's the problem.
We're gonna have to keep remembering that this revolution is going to have a lot of casualties, because white supremacy and systemic racism is everywhere and everything is going to be taken seriously. It's a problem when shows and movies that are predominantly run by white people continually think blackface is funny.
All you have to do if you don't know about blackface is look up minstrel show. You can look up “minstrel show” on Wikipedia. I will put a link in the show notes. Blackface is basically the origin story of appropriation for black entertainers. White people dressed in blackface to make fun of black people, to perpetuate stereotypes about black people, and make money doing so. So, Blanche and Rose in mud masks (because the writer wrote a blackface non-blackface joke) results in the Golden Girls show making money.
And we're talking about my favorite show, right? I haven't canceled the Golden Girls, but I do cancel blackface. It's as easy as that. I haven't canceled Black excellence but I do cancel The Cosby Show.
I haven’t canceled Quincy Jones and his ability to make amazing R&B music, but Michael Jackson for me is cancelled. Simple as that. The world has not exploded because of this, it won't explode if we lose a bunch more of our TV shows and celebrities that we have, up until now, been making excuses for or overlooking the bullshit.
The world will go on. Actually, it'll be a better place because of it. This will go into history books, hopefully, if the right people are writing them, that in 2020 and 2021 we removed blackface and racial stereotyping from the entertainment industry. That would be amazing! So don't fall for the BS that this is going too far. This needs to happen and we want it to happen.
Instagram - @Creative4evr
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Quick Notes & Links:
Jai//Em's Ko-fi for donations
#BlackLivesMatter
Full Show Notes:
Let me tell you something, Black people are in no hurry to get back to normal. We don’t carry a deep nostalgia for things or times. There is only so much black people miss and reminiscence about. There is very little that we’re sentimental about or homesick for. For us back to normal is bullshit.
Back to normal is black people being targeted, killed, violated, wrongfully-imprisioned. Back to normal also means black people going back to being unseen, misunderstood, disrespected, dismissed, patronized, and under-estimated. And I am not just talking about black people that are harassed by police or racist people. I am saying that back to normal for ME on a regular day means going back to being unseen or misunderstood, disrespected, dismissed, patronized, or under-estimated in some way between leaving this apartment in the morning and coming back home at evening.
For black people back to normal is us being asked questions we aren’t being paid to answer about all sorts of things! Racism, our hair, our culture and our pop-culture. Back to normal is black people being asked questions we aren’t being paid to answer like, What should I do? What should we do next? How can we help? You know big, vague, philosophical questions. And guess what a lot of us answer those questions, and most of those times our advice is not taken. So, you ask...we answer...you don’t do it... and we don’t we get paid for it.
Back to normal is black people having to be: put together, nice, calculated, strategic, all-knowing, and friendly, and happy, quiet, magical, dope, chill, so cool… All so we can can stay safe! So that we can stay alive and out of prison. So that we can get jobs, keep jobs and get promoted. So we can take walks in Central Park, so we can jog, so we can ride the subway, so we can drive our cars, so we can eat, and sleep and read books.
A lot of y’all know me cuz this podcast is just getting off the ground so I want you picture something. Picture my mother holding me in her arms, I’m a newborn baby. And what she’s thinking about is what can I name my child so she can get a job later in life. THAT is back to normal for a lot, not all, but a lot of black people, naming their children in ways that please others and invite opportunities.
So why am I saying this? Because I want everyone (not just white people), to understand how important it is for us NOT to go back to normal.
Now what that future is….well, we don’t know because we aren’t there yet. But collectively as a community of humans on this planet we have to be OKAY with walking together forward into new territory. We have to be okay with being uncomfortable for longer than 5 days (and I say that to all of you that are not affected by racism but are already exhausted by the revolution). This is not going to be solved tomorrow.
I’ll tell you right now July 4th is going to be very awkward, to say the least. And if that is at all shocking news to you, What do you mean the 4th of July is going to be awkward? I urge you to talk to someone in your life (that is not black) but understands what I mean because under no circumstances should you be celebrating your freedom this Independence day. Now Juneteenth may well be the turn-up this year so you can get hype for that, but depending who you are you will have to stay in your lane on 6/19 as well. So ask all the questions before you start celebrating this summer. :)
What I am saying to you is, we don’t want things going back to normal. We want to embrace this moment and make it count. Opportunities like this don’t come around all the time. And you may think I am being morbid when I say this but something good can come out of Covid-19. My mother would say, the Lord works in mysterious ways, but... Here we are, forced to stay in our homes and shelter in place. We’ve watched all the television. We’ve figured out how to work from home and all that.
And NOW we have time to deal with racism. That can be our story of 2020/2021. If we want to be. Let me correct myself, if non-black people want it to be. Because I believe the only way this works is if black people outline the work and everyone else does that work.
What do I mean by that? The protests are a great example. A lot of people are calling for white people to do the work of putting themselves between police and black bodies. That is the work. Talking to your racist or uneducated family and friends is the work. I can’t call your white aunt and tell her she’s racist, but guess what, you can! Demanding change from politicians and leaders and/or electing new ones. The last time we voted for a President, black people weren’t the problem. Non-black people didn't do the work.
I hope meetings are already happening. I hope non-black people are having zoom calls to organize and see what they can accomplish if they program manage racism. If they get strategic with their funds. If they go through their contact lists to see how many degrees of Kevin Bacon they are away from an ally with deep pockets, or sway. And this shouldn’t sound crazy to you. Everyone listening has sat down and strategized how to get something important done, whether it's for their job and they are getting paid, or if it's personal so they can be hyper productive. I hope that you decide to be one of these people. I hope that you decide to be serious about helping black people. Something that goes way past instagram posting. Something that goes way past giving your money. The movement needs you money, don't get me wrong. Everyone should give and continue to give. Even 5 bucks. if you are listening you can give a little. But it's going to require more than that.
And so many of us...we lie awake at night, 90% sure that nothing is going to change, that we will have to go back to normal, that cops will keep killing black people. That we will keep being afraid. That we will have to spend our lives with energy directed at all of this instead of being able to use that energy on ourselves and on our potential.
I am a person with a lot of potential and this is where my energy has been. I don't want to go back to normal. I don't want to spend my energy and time like this. I don't want to live like this. But what sucks is, it doesn't matter if I don't want to live like this. Because I alone can't change it. My freedom relies on a whole bunch of other people deciding if they have time to actually help. To actually make change. To read books about things they don't know very much about. To invest their money, not only when we die, but throughout the year/// in ways that uplift black people, black voices, black creatives, black business people, black law enforcement, black politicians.
It's a lot of work. Obviously. But we can make great strides in 2020 and 2021 if non-black people are willing.
I don't want to go back to normal. I hope you don't want to go back to normal. I am willing to help. A lot of black people are willing to help. But the burden we carry....that, you all that are not black. You gotta help us with that.
So I usually say, Don't forget to be creative this week, even if you just think about it. But this time I'm going say, Don't forget about black people this week....that is what I am going to say.
Twitter & Instagram: @Creative4evr
Ko-fi donations: ko-fi.com/heyjaiem
Links:
Lockdown TV: Netflix Dominates, News Surges and Bea Arthur Is Still Golden
Pharrell Williams - Compilation of Songs with Four-Count Start
If Beale Street Could Talk Trailer
Update:
Still in NYC, in Brooklyn, sheltering in place. We are still healthy, still not going anywhere unless absolutely necessary. I’m not going insane, but I’m not, not going insane. I like the working from home part, I don’t like not being able to go run an errand or easily, relaxingly be outside. Even when I take a walk I have such anxiety about... Where is my mask? Is it on right? Don’t touch your face, don’t touch anything. Be mindful about others not wearing masks, or disregarding the 6-foot rule. It’s so hard for me to relax and then I’m like, “Oh, f*%k this, I’m going back inside.” But we are safe, we are surviving and I am making as best use of my time inside as I can, so I stay sane, and feel like I’m not getting behind for my goals for 2020. Let’s be honest, we thought this was gonna be 3 or 4 months, but this is going to be the rest of the year. Definitely the rest of Spring, into Summer. I am probably going to be working from home for the rest of 2020. And that’s a different situation.
The idea of working out of my home office for a few months was fine. I prefer to work from home. I am very productive at home, doing my stuff— writing, podcasting, gaming, streaming, all the things I do for work, that fulfill me outside of my day job. And fine, my day job can come hang out in this office for a few months… But absolutely the f*%k not for the rest of the year. I don’t want this room to become my day job. Once I realized that was happening—first I panicked, then I got depressed. Now I am in the action stages, I’ve figured out a way to work in here without the day job stuff taking over the space. It has its own corner now. But knowing that the rest of the year is going to be some version of this. This no routine/new routine. I really want to make sure that I still accomplish some of the things I wanted to accomplish in 2020.
Main Show:
We are gonna talk about TV today. As you know, the world is watching a lot of TV.
The Coronavirus crisis has led to a worldwide spike in viewership in March. TV consumption was up 60% in the US for March with a spike in middle-of-the-day viewing and a decrease in primetime watching. And I read that India’s non-primetime viewing had an 81% increase. And this just proves what I have been feeling about TV consumption for all of my adult life. WHHHHHHY we gotta wait til 7, 8, 9 pm to watch the shows we love?! I think I may have mentioned this before, but I am not at my best in the evening. The evening is a time for me to be tired and generally unfocused and disappointed with life. I mean it— I am not in sync with my mind, body and soul in the evening. All the superpowers I feel starting around 5am, are gone by 6 pm. I used to watch Game of Thrones first thing in the morning on Mondays instead of Sunday night at 9 PM! Because THAT is when I was ready to truly experience the excitement, drama and bloodlust of Game of Thrones!
Anyway, all of this TV consumption, especially the daytime TV watching has been made possible by streaming services which allow you to watch your favorite shows whenever you want. First-time installs of the Netflix app on devices surged in Italy and Spain in March and the NYT reports that 74% of American homes now subscribe to a streaming service. That number went up by about 2.5 million subscribers between January and March of 2020.
What are people watching!? Everything! And that makes sense. If you’re stuck at home forever, you’re more likely to take a chance on something you wouldn’t normally watch. You don’t have to prioritize your viewing as much, you’re open to being surprised or disappointed, right? If you’re like me, you’re open to feeling anything other than the crushing weight of anxiety, and the overwhelming desire to get into a Best Buy or an Apple Store. I have NEVER in my life gone this long without sauntering down the aisle of a gadget store and it’s freaking me out. Ugh.
My point is, a lot of folks are opening up their viewership circles and trying some new stuff because they have nothing but time. People are also doing a lot of rewatching or as a Hulu spokesperson calls it, “comfort watching.” Did you know that 11 million hours of "The Golden Girls" were watched on Hulu in April? 11 million hours of The Golden Girls! That makes me so HAPPY! You know what else people are apparently confort viewing on Hulu, ‘cuz it has really high watch numbers right now? "Law And Order: SVU." ‘Cuz there’s nothing more comforting than watching Oliva Benson capture sex offenders, rapists and killers.
All of this has got me thinking about what I want to watch again on TV. So I wanted to talk about how we as creatives can use Repeat Viewing to our advantage. We can, with strategy, with intention, work on our creative observation skills as well as come to a better understanding of our own creativity, what we are and are not responding to, and what others are responding to.
First, you already know I am a big advocate for reading the same book more than once. And I feel the same way about repeat consumption in other forms of media. Watching a TV series, or movie, or experiencing any type of content multiple times is a great way to discover things you didn’t notice the first or 2nd time. And often the material will connect with you in different ways depending on the place you are in your life during that time. Something you didn’t even realize was happening when you experienced it at 15, will be very clear when you experience it again at 22, and the same thing will happen again at 45, or 60 or 80.
We respond to creativity and work based on who we are in the moment, based on memories from the past. So these things are always changing and evolving, and when you experience something multiple times you get a sort of check-in with who you are. A flag in the sand about how you feel about certain ideas, material, people, music, anything! You are experiencing it again for technically the 15th time, but in that moment, for the first time.
Another great thing to do if you decide to repeat view something is to pay attention to how others are reacting to it. This is good because sometimes we get so tunnel-visioned about how we feel about something, or how we think the world should think about it, and we aren’t right all the time. And when you watch something and you’re laughing but the people next to you are not, or you don’t understand it, but everyone else is really plugged in— that’s informative. That’s telling you about something you respond to that others don’t. It could be across race, across gender, it could be age related. These are interesting things to keep in mind as a creative- Hmmm I didn’t laugh, but they did. I wonder why? Watching something actively a 2nd or 3rd or 15th time, but with someone else (short of drilling them with questions and making the experience not fun) can you tell a lot. Otherwise we often get in our heads creatives — What’s funny, what’s not funny, what’s gon...
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