Kevin Smith
By Sean Tuohy
"Don't be afraid to do weird stuff, so long as you do it cheaply and cover everyone's bets. Be bold. Be stupid. People have been telling me I'm a failure and that I'm doing it all wrong for 20 years now. Never trust anybody when they tell you how your story goes. You know your story. You write your own story." Kevin Smith
The above quote should be tattooed on the arm of every struggling writer in the world. Translate it to another language if you have to. Kevin Smith sums up what every writer in the world should be doing: Writing their own stories.
And who knows better then Smith, director of award-winning films such as "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy." His newest film "Tusk", based on an episode of his own podcast SMODCAST, is in theaters now. Smith has always stood out in Hollywood for his voice, original story telling, and the fact that he always made movies that were close to his heart.
Smith, a comic book and movie fan boy from the Garden State, decided that he wanted to make his own movie that showed what his life was like. That movie became the cult classic "Clerks." Twenty years later, Smith has created an empire that includes movies, television shows like "Comic Book Men" (coming back to AMC Oct. 12 after "The Walking Dead"), books, comic books, and podcasts. Despite his critical acclaim and legions of fans, Smith has always stayed grounded in the real world and has always told the stories he wanted to tell.
I always recommend people watch "Snowball Effect: The Making Of Clerks," which covers Smith's early years and rise to fame with his small black and white film. The movie captures how a dreamer was able to make his dreams come true with hard work and by never giving up.
Listening to one of Smith's podcasts is a great way to charge your creative battery. Smith is a beacon of creative hope in a waste land of failed dreams. He is a reminder that as long as you believe in what you write and you put in the hard work you will fulfill your desires.
How badass is that?
Sean is on the left, we mean right, we mean left, right, left....