Unknown Origins

David Llama on Creative Direction

December 12, 2020 Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Season 1 Episode 36
Unknown Origins
David Llama on Creative Direction
Show Notes Transcript

David Llama provides perspective on his lifelong quest to bring purposeful stories to life that engage and make a difference by connecting people through branded content and documentary filmmaking that is human-led and has a social purpose. 

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Music by Iain Mutch 

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Roy Sharples:

Hello, I'm Roy Sharples, and welcome to the unknown origins podcast. Why are you listening to this podcast? Are you an industry expert? Looking for insights? are you growing your career? Or are you a dear friend, helping this four year old pile on? I created the unknown origins podcast, to have the most inspiring conversations with creative industry personalities and experts about entrepreneurship, pop culture, art, music, film, and fashion. And so the ancient proverb goes, tell me a fact and alarm. Tell me a truth. And I'll believe, but tell me a story. And it will live in my heart forever. Storytelling is about making meaningful connections, and helping people make sense of themselves and the world they live in, by observing the world around you, and turning what you see into entertainment, and insights that spread, combined with a knack for envisioning the creative vision for brands and products by producing art designs and productions, through products, advertising, digital publications, and print. David Lama is on a lifelong quest to bring purposeful stories to life, that engage and make a difference by connecting people through branded content, and documentary filmmaking. Being human led, and has a social purpose, David provides perspective on his creative process. As head of creative and founder of L animal. With over 20 years of working with some of the most influential brands in Latin America, and the United States of America. Enter David Lama, hello, you handsome devil?

David Llama:

Good to talk to you, my friend probably been through all of this madness, quite a ride. As you know, I'm originally from Mexico City. And when, when the pandemic got was, I had friends that were still going to like big events in Mexico, so I was a little worried about them. And then I also have some really good friends in Barcelona. So I knew what was happening in Europe already where they a pandemic was already raging. And it had just gotten to Seattle. And it just kind of gave me this idea that, that this was gonna be a, for the first time in the history of, of, you know, in our lifetime, we were all going to be going through the same thing. The same experience, like, I mean, there's been other pandemics, but the world was not as connected. And now we are. So I decided to, to reach into them, you know, being being in our 40s gives us the advantage of, of having lived a life that has friends around the world. So I started reaching out to friends, and then friends of friends to talk to them and ask them how they are experiencing this this weird moment in time. Because I think it is, it is a moment that we should use to to understand what what was not working and trying to make the world a better place. Right. But I think this is one of my utopic ways of thinking that I think that every day, you should try to be better than the day before. So I think that a pandemic should make us try to be better than the day before, as us humans. And so I just came up with this documentary series now. And I've talked to about 110 people in 28 countries. And, and you know what, we are a lot more alike than then. Then the forces that that one of dividers tell us we are, we are all experiencing the same and everybody's just, you know, trying to do their best. One comment that I've heard a lot is that we need more empathy. And another one that just they come in different phrases, but uh, well, we are writing the same C which is right now. It has a lot of big surf. Some people are in yachts, and some people are in a piece of wood, and we should make it a more even playing field. Yeah, so I've been focusing my creativity into doing something because what I normally do to make living is not available. So we had to come up with some creative ways to spend time and not go crazy, what inspired and attracted you to becoming a creative director in the first place. What would draw me to work on the creative field First of all, was the need to tell stories, I wanted to work as a filmmaker I wanted to, when I started out, I, I wanted to be a director of photography. But back then we were shooting with film, and it was really expensive. So I picked up editing, because that's what I, you know, I knew about computers, and I was like, Alright, I can do this, and then I'll keep moving around. And then, while I was working, as opposed for the user, which was my first job in the industry, I created a really good connection with the director. And, and he gave me the chance to be a second assistant director, which is the person that kind of tells the actors what is coming up in the next scene, right. So you're basically like just propping them up so that then they can go to the director and do the, you kind of tell them what the director is going to tell them. And it felt, you know, you had this little moment of, of being part of the creative process. And that that really tickled my senses. And I was like, Oh, this is cool. I would like to like keep moving on this and direct my own. And at that time, I was working in that TV, commercial business, I was like, I'd like to direct narrative. And then honestly, like the change that has happened in the storytelling world, because back then this was in early 2000s, when the budgets for commercials were in the millions of dollars, even if we were doing a guy sugar that sweeten the water, right? And then they would have this crazy budget that would give us a lot to all of us that wanted to do film would be a really good training ground. And so, so that's what what drew me in. And then as everything has changed, it's been more about like, and since I've worked in editing, it was like how to finish a whole project and take it from step one of the creative process, right? When you're like, Oh, this is a good idea, or what does the client need, and let's put it all together so we can take it into that direction. It gives me that chance of saying like, Oh, I could do this. And then I honestly think that that growing up in a city with 24 million people when I was a kid gave me the understanding of social interaction as a as a way of surviving. Because in Mexico City, if you don't know how to treat people, you are not going to, you know, you're not going to be safe to start with. So So that gave me that the this thing about talking to people and trying to, to explain what you want to say, even though I might be talking too much right now trying to answer your question. But But yeah, that's what what kind of, like draw me in into like, like, like being able to tell a story, being able to, to help people tell their stories to read, because that's our job. It's not only like, tell the story that you want, it's help the people that are in need of telling a story, get the better story out. So that that was part of the the very attractive feel of walking into this world along with being terrible at every like, you know, I never saw myself as any other thing that was not involved in something creative. Yeah, you know that you can share that story.

Roy Sharples:

I can totally can see the attraction, and why you've capitalized upon your strengths and passions as being a really great relationship builder. Like I mean, you develop relationships, incredibly fast. And you know, your transparency, your honesty, and that establishes trust really quickly. And then combining that with your natural creative flair. I can absolutely understand why you gravitated towards this the creative space and becoming a creative director. What does being a creative director mean to you?

David Llama:

I think that what it really means it's, it's understanding what the story meets. And then working with a whole team of people and harnessing their strengths and letting them go and letting them play and kind of like then finding the better things. I'm back, right? Because I think one of the, the treats and, and the main things that our creative director should have is an open mind to see what is better than what he thought, and the things that are not there, help people get them to a better place. You know, it's never, nothing is ever going to be exactly how you thought about it. Because all of our minds and our creative brains work in a different way, right. So when you're working with like a graphic designer, and you have an idea that that you've gotten to or, or you've shared an idea and with the client, and you have an idea, then you convert it right, and you pass it on to the graphic designer, and then he comes back with something that blows your mind, you have to be open to be like, Oh, this is way better than I thought. And then integrating it into the process, and then being open to to finding what's better for the story. So I think that that being a creative director is a little bit of like, being an open mind. And then sometimes when things are not quite where you want them or what it gives the story, then you have to like, like, try to finesse and not so much like, like drive people to the place they need to go, but figure out what how to push their buttons to get there. Right. Like, like, sometimes, it you know, sometimes it might be like, a font is not there, or the motion is not right with with motion graphics designers, it happens to me a lot that I end up talking to them with, with sounds, because I'm like, Oh, that one I needed to be a little faster, more like a than a rash. Right? And, and people that unfairness look at you like like you're insane. But it's a little bit of like putting the, the, the meals together, I think that's what a creative director has to do. It's like you let everybody kind of like take over and somebody's like, you cut, you chop the garlic and somebody else, like get on the audience and somebody else do that tomato, and then let's put it all together. And, and drive it to so that you can make a tasty, a tasty dinner, or even better, a tasty story that that many people can get into. And understand. Because right now, you know, there's so much media in the world that for you to get it it really, you really need to do something that is going to connect with people.

Roy Sharples:

In terms of your creative process, David, how do you make the invisible visible by dreaming up ideas, and developing them into concepts, and then bring them to actualization?

David Llama:

So I have this funny, I think it's funny, I say that I throw spaghetti at the wall, and then I see what sticks. Right. And then I am just first it's like writing or drawing or walk like you know that like mixing colors, it's sometimes it's just like, Well, to begin with, I go and walk around. I record this the goal, right of what we're what I need to do, or what I want to do. And then I put I'm walking around and I am going back to that those lines that I recorded that are what the story needs. And then I am mixing it with the music that I like, or the music that I feel like that day is going to give me something and I go for walks. And they try to look around and I tried to do other speakers, you know, everything is out there in the world. We just need to like bring it into our the vehicle that you're going to use to tell the story. Right? So that's the first thing I go and I do and then I just record like, honestly like having this there's what we call phones now there's devices that you can record then you can take photos. It's such a an amazing tool, because then I record some of those ideas and then I come back and I listen to them again. And then I start drawing or I start writing and then I leave it for a day after I think that I've done enough and I have thrown enough spaghetti then they come back the next day and I read them and some of them are like wow that that is nowhere near and then there's a couple that get closer and then it's and then I call it like start to reduce the fact that start calling those ideas that are not so good to then get to a point where you're like, Oh, this is this is where it should go. And this is what should work for, for this story or for this concept, right? Because I think that's the other part that we need to understand. Now, there are so many ways to tell stories. There's the you know, visual arts now, like, and visual storytelling gives you I mean, the variety of video and you can integrate, like, actual interaction, right with it. And now also like the virtual reality or adaptive reality, and sometimes you can can bring those things into into a project. What do you find has been the most fulfilling aspect of your creative process when it when is it the most What What part do you like to mesh most in? Or does it just really project for me, it's been like a project thing. And I, you know, of the projects that I've been happy to work in. You know, I, I talked to a friend that, that works at Microsoft Studios, and they were trying to put up some content on top of the Microsoft screens in Times Square in New York. And she was telling me about, like, they were doing something for all the projects that they had on a know Mike, and Mike, but what is the Why do you want to, you know, like, I understand it's like, you're advertising your advertising your brand, but, but why not step out a little outside the box and tell people that, that you love them. And this was a year into the the dark times of the Trump presidency. So I felt and you know, it was a time where were people, immigrants and Muslims, we were feeling, you know, a little bit of a threat, and not feeling comfortable being in this country. So I thought here, like, why don't we get a bunch of people and we use sign language to say, I love you, because you don't have audio in those screens. You're just you know, big screen in the middle of playing square. And, and it was an amazing project, babe, somehow she was like, she was like, Alright, let's pitch it together. And then I wrote a little proposal of the world needs more love. And let's just say I love you. And you know, those two days of onset of, of spending time with 18 different people from all different ages and the print ethnicities. It was amazing, because my job as a director was to tell them like say, I love you with your face, right? Yeah. And then sometimes challenging people to tell them like Nah, that's not an I love you. That's an I like you that's not me. And then being and then you know, and then it was in Time Square, and then getting to go to Time Square. And getting out on that subway station and getting out and then seeing that and then you know, like watching people's it was it was fun to go and like, you know, see people like walk and react to it, like some people didn't notice it. And then I was just standing there. And somebody that actually like know about American Sign Language, turned around and showed her mom because this was like a young adult. It was probably like 13 or 14 years old. And said like they are talking to me right and I saw this interaction between the mother and the son and getting a little emotional here because that that that was great man that was a seeing somebody that that I mean, I never thought about like how the American Sign Language was gonna hit somebody that that used that language to communicate. And then the whole I love you became a little deeper and that was that was a fantastic moment and that that was really beautiful but like really being on set and working with people that that is also a big rush that I love. It's kind of a it's a little bit like getting on stage with a rock band, like the day before you have butterflies in the stomach. I never sleep good the day before a shoot never ever. I'm always a little nervous and I'm always like because you know being on set, it's always has this. There's always going to, something's going to happen that things are not going to go exactly how you expect. And that is the beauty of how you adapt. But it's always you're thinking about all the kind of like being a teenager, again, you're thinking of all the what ifs, as opposed to like just going with it. But I guess it's just our brains telling us to be prepared. It is.

Roy Sharples:

But going back to your point there around the love campaign that you were involved in, and I think, look, we think sending ludicrous thought is the essence of life love, right? That's what people truly crave, right? They do is different extremities of it. But when you feel loved, and your complete, right, and everything else, life becomes positive, and things that are positive, gravitate towards you new towards that, all that. So when you find that it is a huge part of your self actualization. And I think the spirit in terms of how you went about achieving that is really inspirational. The other thing as well as the, the, the energy that comes with words, as well, and the power of a work on how we can evoke an emotion and changing someone's feeling, that don't think there's a greater reward than love to really do that. And if it's expressed in the right way, it uplifts people as society, and also total kudos to you for doing

David Llama:

Oh, thanks, man. And I agree with you, you know, like, I think that the, I mean, in not to sound like an old timer, but I mean, I honestly think that one of the greatest lyrics in the history of humanities, all you need is love. It's as simple. Yeah, it is very, you know, and that's, and I think that also, we need to understand that a lot of our society right now, because we have lost our way a little bit into loving each other and into putting that into what we do. You know, I, I feel that sometimes you see it in, in society, like people do things because they need to, as opposed to, as opposed to wanting to Yeah, and I think that if you don't love what you do, you are doing the Royal I think, I think that's another good part of being a creative, like, you need to love it. Because if you're just trying to get through the creative process, it's it gets really dark really fast, and you're not gonna find the answers.

Roy Sharples:

Well, that's right, because we've been a true creative, it's that ability to be able to manifest what's within you, but also the world around you, and express that through whatever your domain might be, whether it's art, whether it's photography, whether it's writing, whether it's film, whether it's music, and it's that ability to translate your imagination into art, and be able to express that freely. You also mentioned the point around the tentative times that we live and the impact of how politics and political leadership has hot upon society and with reference to Donald Trump, for example, how has that impacted being like myself, and you were immigrants, right. But yeah, it was especially polarizing towards Mexicans. How did that make you and your your community can feel in a country that is built upon immigrants that's built upon freedom and self expression?

David Llama:

Oh, man, it's it was, it's been really tough. The last five years have been challenging, to say the least. So I, I came to the United States to go to college. And because I mean, I came, I had finished high school, and I had tried to be an architect and I dropped out after a year, and then I didn't know what to do. And I wanted, you know, I really wanted to be a rock star. Yeah. But that was in work. But I was like, I'll go to Seattle, and I'll have a rock band over there. And long story short, I had lived here on and off for 12 years. And then and then the last fight and in those 12 years, I had had one racist interaction in, in in here in Seattle and the surrounding area, and it was in Kirkland. And it was when I was applying for a job, and I basically stood up in the middle of the interview, and I told them to fuck off and I got out and I was okay. You know, it was just okay. So they're racist, and I don't want to work with them. But then it can just be Came accepted to do this thing and a week? No, it was three weeks after that. They in November. So it was a little after Thanksgiving. An old client had left their agency and they were working with supermarket chain, and they needed some commercials in Spanish. So my old client called me up and was like, Hey, we have production house that is going to do the commercial in English. Why don't you come over and do a commercials in Spanish? Yeah. And then you know, we'll split the money for you know, you, you will get a little less, but you just have to pay for like the talent and think, Oh, my God sounds great. So I went to have this chat in Portland. And, and it was scary from the get go. Because once I got, I took the train because I wanted to like, I didn't want it to drive and lose three hours of my day. So I was like, I'll just take the train, have a happy hour, and then spend the night important. And that when I get out of the train in Portland, that was a friend of mine called me from Mexico. And we were chatting in Spanish. And I hung up and I went to get on cab. And two cops came over and asked me where I was from. And I don't carry my green cards with me. Yeah. Because it's just dangerous, right? Like you lose your green card. And then it's like a whole deal to deal with. So I told him, I was from Seattle. And they were like, but where are you from? But we're and it just be like, and what do you have in your backpack, and we're gonna check your backpack. And you know, my backpack, I had a change of clothes and my computer on a hard drive. And I was like, Sure, go ahead, check it out. And they checked my backpack, and they didn't have anything, find anything illegal. And they just kept digging at where I was from where I was from, and I just kept in Seattle, and then they, you know, they try to speak faster, and I could still understand English faster. So it was fine. And I got on the cab. And the driver was an African American woman. And she told me like, things are about to get even darker. As like, I had never seen that. And that was when I got to Portland. And then I got to the business meeting to meet the production company. And after the pleasantries of introducing and meeting with each other. The guy in the production company asked me if I was an immigrant. And I was like, Yeah, I mean, that's why I can direct in Spanish and in English. And she's like, and where are you from? And so come from Mexico. And he just stood up and said, I only want to work with Americans and turned around but left the meeting, just like that, as my former client was there looking at me, like changing his face into all kinds of colors and asking, like, I am so sorry. I'm like, if you didn't say anything, then like, you don't, you don't have to be sorry about anything. But to make a long story short, that guy lost a job because he was a racist, and he lost me a drug because he was racist. And, and after that, it was just like it was permitted to say this things it was permitted to, to be involved in and, and you know, having an accent became a little bit of a, of a weird moment. And I'm going to share with you something that I haven't shared with a lot of people, but another time in this period, and this was a little bit of I think after that there were some black lives matter happening. And that was in Portland again, because I had a client that was there and I was, I think at that point that was coming back from the vacation because I was with my wife. And there was a Black Lives Matter March, but then there was a blue Lives Matter march on the other side of town, and we were going out for a drink. And you know that, of course the the environment of the city was very tense. And I stepped out to smoke cigarettes. My wife was having a tough time and was crying and I was like, Alright, you need a little time. I'm going to walk out and I'm going to smoke cigarette and as I was smoking a cigarette, two guys came over and asked me where were the blue Lives Matter march was and they seem very aggressive. They were, like, talking really bad. You know, talking very respective about Black Lives Matter March, and that I, you know, I totally got the vibe that they were kind of racist. Right away and their energy was just weird man. And they started talking to me and asking that I was being as short in my answers, which is gonna come as a surprise as I talk so much. But then they were like, Where are you from? Where does your accent from? And I think a little like survival thing came on me. And I just said, I'm from Spain. And they said, Oh, that's in Europe, right? And I was like, of course, it's in Europe, and then everything changed, right? It's like, well, it's great. You're not, you know, I don't remember what they said after that. But it was just that moment that it just felt safer. lying about where I'm from, and not that I ever feel that I'm anything less for being Mexican. But at that moment, it was just like, oh, okay, let's just avoid that. And, and I've made friends with some people that are from Mexico, that work in restaurants, and they work in the, in the kitchen. And they, and the stories they have told me are also I mean, you know, like I in a weird way, I have that thing of not looking either from here, or from there, and being able to say that I'm staying here, then they're like, okay, but the people that that have very defined the Mexican physical treat treats, right? What they have told me that they have been experiencing for the last five years, it's even more brutal. So yeah, it's been tough. And that, that really messes with your creative train of thought, because all of these things, you know, it's it's life. And at the same time, you're, there were moments that you don't feel safe, and you don't feel comfortable, and like, you know, I kind of wanted to, like, just drop everything and leave. But then you can have a business that you've been working on and allies and a wife, who doesn't speak Spanish to then go, like, hey, let's just move to Mexico right away. So, it was intense. But at the same time, you know, I, it was the first time that I realized that I needed to get off of news and the media, and that I needed to do something about things. So I stopped working so much in commercials and in for profit content, and figured out a way to work on social impact causes, and how could I help the world be a better place, enough of that have come another couple of projects that have been good to, like, help the homeless population in Seattle and, and bring some light to it. And that one was an amazing project. And, and it was working with Pearl Jam, two, because they were throwing two concerts to get money to help the homeless population. So, you know, in a weird way, and in a very long winded way to answer that, in that moment of darkness made me turn into and turning my creativity into helping others so that we could all hopefully feel safer and in a better world. But, but it was not that easy. You know, it I drove through a dark tunnel there for a little while, while finding that that hope on making the world better, you know, that that they important with where the guy said he just wanted to work with with Americans and left the meeting that they was just somewhere between? It was enraging, right. Like the other one was just to two cups that that had a you know, when you have too much power. You will kind of understand that. And it's like, okay, so you're, you're, you're throwing your power around, but but the other one was just like, wow, you're you're really willing to lose what you do. For for, you know, for being racist, just haters looking for an excuse to hate. Yeah, and it's just funny that, that you know, that we've been a society and a civilization which in the true sense of the world means that we are civilized and, and then you see that that people can get triggered. And enraged by, by those very basic humans emotions as is hate. Because like we were talking about love, love is, is where it's at right love is is the emotion we should, like, shoot for and not really like, should four might be a bad word when talking about love, we should aim for love we should be in search for being loving and being in, in love with with our surrounding but hate is the the opposite is the one is the destroyed, destruction is the dark side. But it's really easy. And if you give into that one, it just goes quite fast rising above it and not fade hit with with hit thinking through what's fueling, there can a heat written inside that people want to use that as a scapegoat. Right. And the reality is, these are typically people that are struggling themselves to them, they just feel better by by channeling negative energy into people as a as a scapegoat as an excuse. And it's so wrong. Yeah, I think you totally be totally hidden in there, brother. I think that it's it's such a we, as a society, we need to teach people like stay away from that. Right. But but it's a you know, it's it, I think it would be into like teaching more critical thinking as opposed to, to just going through the motions. Maybe that could help us. Yeah, exactly. Anyway, moving on. From your colorful experience, what do you believe are the key skills to be a creative director? Like, I think one is, is keeping your vision. That's, like staying with the vision, right? Because you might all of a sudden, like, like, like, we were talking about, like, some things come back, and they look better. And then you might like, Oh, this is what we need. And but then it doesn't work for the project. So I think it's a little bit of like being the captain on a boat, and knowing where you need to go so that you can get to the to the next port. So it's keeping your aim clear. It's letting other people and like being able to take feedback and being able to like to bring in what other people have to say, and giving it a voice like letting it come out in the story tool. I think those are the main points, right? Because if if you try to silence somebody and you don't listen to them, you might miss out on some good ideas. Yeah, and that's what's gonna make the story or the project better. So I think those those have to be like like being open and knowing where you need to go along with like, of course, like you know, have been trained to be a creative mind and from being able to keep a little bit of that childlike spirit where you never get broken and that you always can keep throwing another idea and come up coming up with with with what you think is a fun idea.

Roy Sharples:

So David, you're no one that time machine and is going backward based on your lessons learned so far in life in terms of the pitfalls to avoid and the keys to success? What would you share with a younger David?

David Llama:

Oh, man, I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I it's funny that you asked me because I've been I've been going for runs which is not something that I enjoy quite a bit so I go and run behind the football but but I've been thinking about what would be the things that you would like tell yourself if you could time travel I think the first one would be to like not to not take really don't take things personal right like that is I fought with that one at the beginning way too much. You know, when I was editing commercials, it was brutal because you would have all of a sudden 20 people behind you are not not 20 but we there were days that there were like three creatives and copywriter and the director and it was you would have like eight people behind you why commercial, and you know, take everything a little bit lighter, that that would have been another one. What would be the outlet? Let me see, one would definitely be to not take things personal. And don't take everything so to heart. Because as playful and as much as I'd like to joke now, there was a time that this, I took everything so serious, and which since you get to know me now, Roy, you might be like how that when were you serious that that you know, doesn't really, but there was like four or five years there that that I just thought that this was it and that you had to spend you know, I would spend all nights sometimes editing commercials for fuck sake. Like, I mean, nothing is that important to like, lose sleep over selling a soda, that was not a great, great idea. And the other one would be to read a lot more. So don't take things serious. Be you know, enjoy the moment and enjoy the process. I think sometimes when we're young, we are trying to get to the end of the tunnel without enjoying the ride. So enjoy the process a little more, and read more and read more about everything. There was also a time that I only read about filmmaking and you know, maybe read more about a fiction book and it might give you know, that's when when I started figuring out that ideas came from different places, and that Oh, another thing that I would tell myself is to learn how to steal which style, you know, like I know, you're not going to find the black thread black thread has already been invented, right. And all you need is love has been already invented. So you're not gonna come back with a better song than that. But maybe you can steal that chord structure and come up with something that is inspired off of that or steel with style. Don't take things seriously. And and enjoy the process.

Roy Sharples:

By reading it helps build better connections, like what you see to explore in multiple domains that may not be initially perceived as being creative or within your inner sphere, but by exporting them actually broadly gives you even more disruptive ideas. And so there's by building connections as understanding perspectives and to really broaden your capacity, I think that's kind of what you were going to see in there. And then your point, made me affectionately chuckle around em stealing restyle and it reminded me a little bit on the I think it was Oscar Wilde that allegedly had came up with a seeing talent borrows genius steals, right? And it's so true. When you look at all the greats, Salvador Dali, Picasso, mind Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, I mean, you name it, right? They all they all had, they were all self style, they all had their own aesthetic and identity, but they weren't smart enough to look at the past stand on the shoulders of giants in terms of reference those the greatness of the past, so that you're paying your respect, and that you truly are creating something new and not reinventing the wheel. So it's that ability to stand on the shoulders of giants use what you can but to then use it in a way that you're innovating going forward and not stealing.

David Llama:

Yeah, I think that that is a you know, and when you're young, you're just like, you're trying so much to like to, again, like get to the other side of the tunnel and be known as this great editor and you're trying to come up with things that doesn't work. But like if you go back and you understand how, you know, the this, I think I heard that from Jim Jarmusch. I don't remember how he said it. But, you know, like when I watched a night on Earth, I think that was the first day that I know that I wanted to tell stories for a living. And then I kind of became this freak fan of germs. And then one day, I heard him say something along the lines where like, inspiration comes from every place. You might look at a bridge and that bridge might give you an idea for a movie. You just need to be open to to let that bridge inspire you as humans. Innovation is around us every single minute of the day, but we don't see it and it's

Roy Sharples:

Having the ability to be able to see the unseen or to make connections between past present future, or through be able to connect between multi disciplines between science and art between chemistry and physics between physics and, and humanities, and between Afri a and Asia and so forth. It's that innate ability to make thos connections and to make the nvisible visible, if you will

David Llama:

Yeah. And I think that, you know, like that, that is it, like being able to like, I mean, you and I were talking not too long ago, and we were talking about like, this pandemic, keeping those kind of in our places, and how much sometimes you need a change of scenery, just to kind of like refresh your neurological connection, to come up with different ideas, right, because if not, we're always kind of, like stuck seeing the same things. I think that's one of the other great adventures of when you're young, and this, you know, like, I was lucky to, like, for some reason, my idea was to get out of Mexico. But I think that I would probably go back and fill myself, like, you know, go and like, travel the world more like if you can find the, you know, go to college in one country, and then go to a master's in a different country in a different culture. Yeah, because, I mean, I, when I first got to Seattle, I would find, you know, they would give us photography assignments, and I would find things that I thought that amazing anywhere. And now, that's where I live. And now, yesterday when I was I was watching the long way off, and they are, even McGregor and Charlie are driving through Mexico. And then I saw that, you know, that terrain that was so part of my life growing up. But now it's so foreign, because now you know, there's no cacti around here. And when I grew up, everywhere you went, there was cacti and palm trees. And now there is no cafe or boundaries here. So it isn't everything is inspiring, if you're open to it.

Roy Sharples:

You're back in that time machine again, David is going forward. What's your vision for the future of the creative arts?

David Llama:

That one is so exciting right now, man. So exciting. Because right now, I feel that that is pause that is happening that is, you know, I feel that it's like, it's a little bit of a bottleneck, like all these movies that are not coming out are being released to theaters, and all of this music that is, are those artists that are not going on tour, and we're not able to listen to their music and get inspired. When it comes back. It's just gonna be like a tsunami of those things. Right? So it's that is one part. But then it's like, how are we going to harness it? To tell like to bring that inspiration to life? And how can we harness the power of this devices, again, that we have in our pockets or in our purses, or, or wherever you carry your, your smartphone? Now, you know they are people watch movies in a smartphone or in an iPad or into their computer. So it is really exciting to see how everything is kind of like crossing over. Right? Like, yeah, that's the reality, the virtual reality. And at the same time, I also think that the connectivity of humans needs to be reassessed. We need to figure out how to be more connected as humans and do content that brings that out of us. But it is it's an exciting time, this this little break that we've had, which is making us think and rethink things as as funny as that last phrase sound since it has so many thinks and thinks it is going to come back to we need to come back ready to create something that that connects us more and gives us the chance to be more empathetic towards each other because because, you know, this moment in time is also showing big, big valleys of inequality, that we clearly need to figure out how to be better about that.

Roy Sharples:

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