As a filmmaker, I have learned the creative approach to a project is just as important as the story you tell. When you are forced to be creative you open the door to infinite possibilities.
Four years ago, I was asked to direct a film that illustrated the importance of “creativity” for the State of Creativity Conference in Oklahoma. I was slated to speak at six schools over five days. It
proposed a challenge: to shoot the film over five days and edit, add original music, a sound design and graphics in 12 hours so it could screen at the conference over the weekend. The truncated schedule, although stressful, illustrated just how serendipitous the creative process can be and how we need to be creative to see what is possible.
The film was finished just hours before the conference and was well received by the attendees. The student testimonials personified why creativity is essential to every aspect of our life. It helps us to learn quickly, solve problems efficiently, express ourselves intimately, and cope with trauma in a healthy way. It was once believed that only the right side of our
brain is used when we are creative. New studies prove that creativity does not
reside in a place, but rather, is a process that utilizes many parts of our brain. According to Antonio Damasio, neuroscientist and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, “There is a very high level of cooperation between different parts and different systems of the brain so that they can orchestrate this process.” Therefore, when we use our mind to perform this sought-after practice, we heighten our own ability to advance our understanding, awareness and healing. Truthfully, I once believed
being creative meant producing something artistic. I never really understood how creativity could change the way we live our life until I started working with youth.
On April 20, 1999, two students entered a high school in Colorado and committed one of the worst school shootings in American history. The tragic event forever altered the way we think about school culture and moved me to develop a project that would hopefully shed light on how youth feel. After interviewing over 150 students, I discovered that most youth felt “no one really listened.” I wanted to find a way to give them a voice. My business partner and I gave five diverse youth cameras to shoot over eighty-hours of raw teen truth. I edited the footage with another student condensing it into one film (simply titled TEEN TRUTH).
8