Living Our Distinctive Themes for Lasting Success
“Know that your work only speaks to those on the same wavelength as you.”
Jean Cocteau
Are some people born successful and others not? This is one of the repetitive questions I was asking myself in my 20s.
Recently, while chatting with a fellow director about another woman’s admirable success, I had a lightbulb moment that flashed me back to my youth, providing further insight into that question.
Like Marty McFly in ‘Back to the Future,’ (only in reverse,) my mind gathered data about my future by revisiting my childhood.
I suggested to my new friend that perhaps this woman’s success was directly connected to the childhood/youth hobbies and themes she explores in her films.
Her audience gets her because they share similar themes.
I asked myself, could it also be that this woman’s films are so deeply rooted in what she cares about and topics she loved as a child that the audience feels a nostalgic connection to a magical part of their own lives?
When something feels good or stimulates a sense of expansion in us- when we resonate with how someone thinks, we want more of what that person is giving.
That can be good when our themes are altruistic and damaging when our thinking is superficial.
Looking back on my life, I can see resounding themes I’ve been exploring since childhood that I now explore in my films.
You may connect to some of these yourself or it’ll awaken you on a journey to finding what makes your heart sing.
My themes still time, expand my sense of self and leave me feeling peaceful.
Here are my curiosities and natural talents broken down as literal and symbolic:
Animals/ Otherworldly with an emphasis on dogs, goats and horses. I rode horses into my adult years, had goats as a kid, and have always had dogs. Animals are a source of otherworldly love, humour and healing.
Volunteering/ Underdog- I volunteered with animals religiously as a youth and helped feed the homeless. Feeling like I could make a difference in this dreary world gave me a sense of purpose and the strength to stand up for those in need of protection and compassion.
Theatre, Acting and Film/ Self-expression/ Sharing Inspiration- I started acting at age 12 and loved expressing my creativity. This led to theatre, extra work, radio, producing, writing and documentary. Today, making documentaries allows me to explore my themes through the lives of people with similar aspirations/ideals.
Nature/ Spirituality/Freedom- Growing up on an acreage gave me serenity, freedom to think big, and a sense of connection to something vast, eternal and gracious. Even now, nature provides me with the space to be myself, push through limitations, and play.
Yogi/ Buddha/ Spirituality- I was the kid who shared my technicolour dreams with my parents at breakfast, saw goodness and meaning in insignificant happenings, and felt lost when I couldn’t find a way to alleviate my suffering or that of others. Connecting to my higher power through meditation and prayer gives me unfailing strength, clarity and understanding.
How the heck did I find my themes, you may ask…
By looking at childhood photos, interviewing my folks and taking note of the good times. Where I was and what I was doing when I wasn’t thinking about myself.
It took introspection, time and a little bit of digging.
At the end of our conversation, my friend decided she would introspect to find her own themes.
I’ve come to believe that living more rooted in our themes brings us inevitable success, enriches our lives, and draws us toward kindred spirits.
Simply the act of following our heart, as if by osmosis, affects the people around us, possibly giving them the desire to start exploring their natural talents.
Finally, I want to share that my most recent film, RUTH, explores a few of my themes. I’m about to enter it into film festivals! You can watch it online in 2024. :)
TAKEAWAY: Sometimes, we lose ourselves by mediocre thinking brought about by not exploring what matters to us. Symptoms of losing ourselves look like feeling uninspired, bored, consistently angry and directionless. We may become habitually jealous and critical of others who look like they’re living their best life. What we need to do instead is delete/disable social media, introspect and discover what we love and why we love it. Then take the darn steps to bring that honest goodness into our lives.
Happy Introspecting! I’ll be reflecting on the entire year as it comes to a close.
Until next month,
Shana Lee
P.S. Share my blog as you feel inspired.