Unlocking Creative Potential: The Art of Trusting the Process
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Chapter 1: Embracing the Journey
In the realm of creativity, there exists a unique force that transcends our ego. This unseen magic often guides us to destinations we never anticipated.
In 1978, during my last year in the Master of Divinity program at Yale, I was following a predetermined plan I had laid out while studying at the University of Virginia. The goal was clear: earn the Master's degree and then pursue a prestigious Ph.D. program. With a supportive group of professors, I seemed on course. Yet, after completing my M.Div., I diverged from that scholarly path entirely and ultimately became a screenwriter.
What caused this shift? Life's unpredictability, destiny, or perhaps a touch of grace intervened. During my final year at Yale, every time I approached the campus, I felt a persistent discomfort in my stomach, an instinctive signal that I was not on the right path.
Have you ever experienced such a feeling? A gut instinct urging you to reconsider your choices? Did you heed it? Were you open to exploring new avenues?
I took that leap of faith and chose to take a break from academia, a decision that transformed my life. This pivotal year was just one of many experiences over the next twenty-five years that shaped my philosophy on creativity: Trust the process.
The remarkable journey that led me to Berkeley, California, in October 1986 is hard to encapsulate. It was there that I began typing "FADE IN" on an Apple 2c, ultimately crafting the 112-page script titled K-9 over the next eight weeks. The serendipitous events that transported me from New Haven in 1978 to Los Angeles in 1987, where Universal Studios made a preemptive offer for that spec script, are beyond explanation.
What I can convey is this: Trust the process.
Initially, I believed I had coined the phrase. It resonated with me early in my screenwriting career in the early '90s when I realized that surrendering to the story allowed it to unfold naturally.
Then I discovered a book titled "Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go." My own experiences beautifully mirrored its insights across 210 pages. The author, Shaun McNiff, is an artist, seemingly distant from screenwriting, yet his thoughts are essential to storytelling.
Whether through painting, poetry, performance, music, dance, or life itself, there is an underlying intelligence present in every creative endeavor. This force is crucial in the act of creation. If we trust it and follow its lead, it will surprise us with its capacity to navigate challenges and turn our missteps into opportunities for creativity.
There is a magic to this journey that defies ego. It consistently guides us to where we need to go, often to places we could never foresee. When everything appears bleak and directionless, remember to trust the process.
This has been my own experience while crafting narratives. When you trust the journey, you'll be amazed by the outcomes. Challenges morph into solutions, setbacks become successes, and magic emerges beyond reason. Essentially, abundant creative blessings await those who are willing to set aside their ego and embrace the flow of creativity.
Why share this perspective? Firstly, I encourage you to read "Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go" by Shaun McNiff, published by Shambhala Press in 1998. Secondly, it's vital to acknowledge that while understanding theory, structure, and the intricacies of Hollywood's trends is important for a professional screenwriter, storytelling ultimately hinges on magic.
You can master story structure, character development, theme, dialogue, and plot, but if you fail to discover that spark of magic, you'll end up with a script that consists of mere words—over 100 pages of text that fail to resonate, resulting in a reader's "Pass."
Truly successful stories are infused with magic, and the only way to uncover that magic is to trust the process.
P.S.: The mantra "trust the process" made its way into the world of professional sports in 2017. You can explore that concept here.
For additional articles in the Screenwriting Mantra series, visit here.