THE MUSE #78
In this edition: “Be the captain of your own ship” and other lessons from working with a sheep on set, as well as the first edition of “Production Muse,” a column for getting creative about the business of entertainment.
Photo: Tourism New Zealand
Hey Muses,
Long story short, I filmed a sheep this week! And while I learned many things about sheep (including that a group of five or more sheep is called a “band” or “mob”), I was gratefully reminded to:
“Be the captain of your own ship.”
Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means advocating to throw collaboration overboard. For me, captaining my own ship looks like:
Courage: putting myself on the line and making big, bold decisions when it comes to steering the ship, because there’s no point in timidly wading in the water.
Accountability: changing course when the direction proves false or the seas get choppy. As the Captain, I am responsible for the wellbeing, vision, and goal of this ship’s crew.
Preparation: Trusting the blueprint and all the experiences that have gotten me this far; being prepared enough to know what I’m doing and know that there is always something new to learn if I remain open to the opportunity.
… or C.A.P. 😉
Bon Voyage, dear readers!
xo
bdh
Production Muse
Making Networking Less Awkward
by Saralyn Armer, Nine Muses Production Executive
Welcome to Production Muse, a space for getting creative about the business of entertainment. Every month, Nine Muses Production Executive Saralyn Armer shares practical advice for “making it” as a multi-hyphenate artist in the industry and essentials for navigating a career in the arts.
Let’s face it, the idea of “networking” can have an icky feeling to it — and two years into a pandemic world, it can feel like we’ve lost our social abilities. In a business that is built on relationships, particularly the ones you have (*cough* or need to have), networking skills are the building blocks to moving the needle on your career.
For me, I’ve always tried to think about how to connect with others as opposed to network with them. Changing my mindset on how I view “networking” helps take some pressure off, and when there’s less pressure, you can let your true self shine in order to make that genuine bond.
As we continue to adapt to an ever-increasing digital workplace or as we return to the office in-person, below are some great resources for how to authentically connect. We all have dreams of pushing our art to the next level, so let’s figure out how to make networking less uncomfortable.
“Six Top Tips For Networking In The New World Of Work” by Sally Percy, Forbes
While there are clear upsides to having face-to-face contact in the workplace, what does effective networking look like in a new world of virtual offices? Six business leaders share their tips and advice for how to connect and network with colleagues, clients and business partners in this age of remote working — hint: showing up early to Zoom meetings could get you an extra few minutes to personally connect with a co-worker before the official agenda starts.
“How to Network with Enthusiasm” from COACHED with Coach Keren
Coach Keren Eldad, a transformational speaker and coach, gets right to the heart of networking in this episode of her COACHED podcast: asking genuine questions about the person you’re getting to know, looking at who is already in your network, and evaluating how you are collaborating with and adding value to these people. As an added bonus, she slips in a relatable story about how Jimmy Fallon mastered the skill.
“I Just Wanted to Write Everything” from On the Page with Pilar Alessandra, featuring Aydrea Walden
This is an “ah-ha” podcast episode. I’ve known writer, producer, and creator Aydrea Walden for several years and talking with her is always a breath of fresh, funny air — and this episode is no different. Giving us a peek into the life of a Development Executive at DreamWorks TV, Aydrea shares insight about working in a Zoom writers room (for shows on Disney Jr., Netflix, and Nickelodeon) that I found to be spot on and true for any virtual meeting. But it’s the out-of-the box practical tips Aydrea offers on getting over that dreaded networking hurdle by “collecting some skills” that had me leaning in. In general, I highly recommend On the Page podcast if you have any script-related questions about writing for film, television, and pitching as a writer.
Our Musings: April 2022
Our namesake, the Nine Muses of Greek Mythology, were deities that gave artists, philosophers, and individuals the necessary inspiration for creation. With each edition of Our Musings, we hope to capture their spirit and the idea that inspiration is everywhere, and even more, that when we surround ourselves with the kindling of muses, we ignite our inner creative spark.
This month, we asked the Nine Muses Lab to share recommendations for what to watch, listen to, read, and cook. Their musings include: sci-fiction action movies that travel the multiverse, a podcast about neurodiversity and modes of communication, and a glimpse into how creative people live and work from dawn to dusk.
THE ADAM PROJECT (Netflix)
After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (A24)
An exhausted Chinese American woman (Yeoh) can't seem to finish her taxes. When an inter-dimensional rupture unravels reality, Yeoh must connect with versions of herself from parallel universes to prevent the destruction of them all by a powerful being.
MY BRILLIANT FRIEND (HBOMax)
Adapted from Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed “Neapolitan Novels,” this drama series follows Elena Greco who discovers the most important friend in her life, Raffaella "Lila" Cerullo, has disappeared. An author immersed in a house full of books, Elena starts writing the story of her and Lila's tempestuous friendship.
“About Damn Time”
The first single from Lizzo’s highly-anticipated fourth album, Special (arriving July 15), is here! With an affirmative, instantly uplifting, and summertime disco beat, and we can’t resist this bop.
“Hannah Gadsby: How to Communicate Better”
From We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, this podcast episode celebrates neurodiversity across the globe and recognizes the countless ways there are to connect with and understand one another. Hannah Gadsby, award-winning stand-up comedian, shares the “exfoliation of shame” that came with her later-in-life Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis and her revolutionary commitment to stop using self-deprecating humor about her body, sexuality, and gender — and why we might all consider the same commitment.
The Trojan Horse Affair
A mysterious letter shocked Britain in 2014, alleging an Islamist plot to take over one city’s general schools. But who wrote it? In The Trojan Horse Affair, an unlikely duo chases down the origins of the fake letter that sparked a hysterical public response and caused a national scandal.
“24 Hours in the Creative Life” from The New York Times Style Magazine
For its 2022 Culture issue, The New York Times Style Magazine photographed and interviewed 34 artists from various disciplines to provide a glimpse into how creative people live and work. Rather than focus on grand gestures, the idea was to highlight only the seemingly mundane activities that these artists either incorporate into their creative processes — or pursue in order to let their minds empty and drift.
Chief Inspector Gamache Series by Louise Penny (Book #1: Still Life).
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec digs beneath the idyllic surface of village life in Three Pines, finding long buried secrets — and facing a few of his own ghosts. Nine Muses Lab Fellow Sam McHale says, “It is a beautifully written crime/mystery series set in a small town in Quebec. While the primary plot follows a murder, the complexity of characters, poetic nature of the writing, and intricate storyline makes each book a delightful read that draws you in.”
Finance For the People by Paco de Leon
From the founder of The Hell Yeah Group comes an illustrated, practical guide to navigating your financial life, no matter your financial situation. Unlike most personal finance books that focus on skills and behaviors, Finance for the People asks you to examine your beliefs and experiences around money — blending extremely practical exercises with mindfulness to make the concepts accessible (and even fun).
“I think of mythology as the homeland of the muses, the inspirers of art, the inspirers of poetry. To see life as a poem and yourself participating in a poem is what the myth does for you.”
Newsletter run by Nia Farrell, Director of Development & Production at Nine Muses Entertainment
