I had the pleasure of listening to a recording of George Lucas talking about his new book, “The Art of Creation.” In this interview, Lucas talks about taking risks, learning from mistakes, and how to find your voice. He also shares some fascinating information about Shakespeare’s plays!
You can stream the entire interview on the web, or download the MP3 file.
Risk-Taking
Lucas begins by talking about how he took all the risks that came with making the trilogy: “I put my own money up front, I took a great deal of risk by hiring first-time directors, by not using professional actors, by doing all the own-age casting. So there were a lot of risks that I took. But I think one of the things that makes me happy is that even though there were lots of risks, it all worked out.”
This is good advice for anyone who aspires to be a writer: Take every risk you can and don’t be afraid to put your own money where your mouth is. By doing this, you’ll gain invaluable experience and eventually find your voice.
Creating Art
“The Art of Creation” is full of interesting information about the making of the Star Wars films. For example, he discusses how he struggled with the “Jedi mind-set” and didn’t understand why Yoda couldn’t do battle with the enemy: “And so I kept coming back to Yoda. Yoda was the genius, you know. He had all the answers—[but] he wasn’t meant to be in the battle. He was just there to give the orders and then step aside.”
This was quite a dilemma for George Lucas. He wanted to have Yoda on his team, but the Old Master wouldn’t stay out of combat. Finally, he came to realize that Yoda was right: He shouldn’t be in the thick of it. When the going got tough, Anakin saved the day. So Yoda was right, and George was wrong. But the truth is, he always goes back to Yoda. That’s his constant companion. He never gets tired of talking to him. He never gets sick of listening to him. So Yoda was a very good teacher for George Lucas—more than he ever realized.
Finding Your Voice
In a similar vein, George Lucas shares some interesting observations about Shakespeare’s plays: “I find a rhythm to all of it, you know. Even the plays of Shakespeare, you know. Like, even Julius Caesar, there is a rhyming scheme of iambic pentameter that he uses. And, you know, for someone who doesn’t understand the language, it’s really not that hard to follow along. And so I started actually learning the language as a pastime and then found it helped me. And now it’s become part of my daily life.”
This is a great example of how learning a new skill can improve your life. By becoming familiar with the rhythms of Shakespeare’s language, you’ll find yourself unconsciously using these rhythms in your daily speech. The more you practice, the more you’ll benefit from this skill. And who knows? Maybe, one day, you’ll even decide to write a poem or play and put your skills to the test.
Takeaways
If you’re looking for some takeaway ideas from this podcast, here are a few pieces of advice: