Photo by nicogenin
Did you realise you probably know Johnny Depp’s films better than he does?
That’s if we can take this interview at face value, where he claims not to have seen his latest movie Public Enemies.
Incredulous, the interviewer asks him why not. Here’s Johnny’s answer:
I’ve always kind of tried to avoid them as much as possible… I just prefer the experience. I like the experience, I like the process, I like doing the work. But then, you know if I’ve got to see myself – I don’t like to see the thing become the product, I suppose. Once they say “You’re wrapped” on the film, it really is none of your business. The director is going to take that performance or whatever options you gave him and the editor, and they’re going to do with it what they want.
From the outside, this might sound hard to believe. After all, for anyone who has dreamt of being a film star, surely watching the end product of your labours, seeing yourself up there on the big screen, is central to the fantasy?
Not for Johnny.
According to him, the exciting part is doing the work, immersing himself in the character and putting everything into his performance. After that, the film is “none of his business” – it belongs to the director.
Johnny is interested in the process, not the product.
Those of us who are actively involved in creative work will know in our hearts what he’s talking about. The minute you take your eye off the ball, forget the work in front of you and start daydreaming about money, fame and other rewards, you’re risking mediocrity.
And as we saw in my e-book about motivation and creativity, there’s a lot of research evidence to back up Johnny’s position. Harvard Business School Professor Theresa Amabile has demonstrated through her research that intrinsic motivation is strongly linked to creative excellence:
People will be most creative when they feel motivated primarily the the interest, satisfaction, and challenge of the work itself – not by external pressures.
(Theresa Amabile, ‘How to Kill Creativity’, Harvard Business Review, September – October 1998)
Extrinsic motivations such as money, fame and critical acclaim constitute rewards for creative work. While it’s nice to enjoy these things after the fact, Amabile’s research shows that focusing on them too much is a creativity killer.
Does Johnny Take It Too Far?
Johnny’s solution to the problem of creative motivation is brutally simple – he focuses exclusively on intrinsic motivation, and does his best to ignore the external rewards. I’m sure he remembers to collect his pay cheque, but by avoiding watching the movie, he minimises his investment in his screen persona and the finished artefact.
Now, many people might say this is a bit extreme, and it wouldn’t do Johnny any harm to watch his films at the cinema, and have the DVDs on heavy rotation at home. But then many people haven’t achieved a fraction of what Johnny has, creatively. So it sounds like his approach works just fine for him.
You could also argue that Johnny is in the fortunate position of having someone else to worry about marketing and shipping the ‘product’. I’m sure there are plenty of people reading this who would love to be able to focus on their creative process all day long, and hand over the messy business of business to someone else.
But listening to Johnny’s interview, and watching mesmerising performances such as Joe Pistone in Donnie Brascoe and the debauched Earl of Rochester in The Libertine, it’s hard to escape the thought that his uncompromising attitude has been critical to his success.
While millions dream of being a famous actor, Johnny Depp concentrates on acting.
Is it a coincidence that he’s the one who made it?
What Do You Think?
What do you make of Johnny Depp’s claim that he avoids watching his own films?
When working on a creative project, do you find the potential rewards motivating or a distraction?
Do you think it’s a good idea for an artist to focus on the creative work, to the exclusion of everything else?
About the Author: Mark McGuinness is a poet and creative coach.
View Comments (47)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1 2 3 … 6 Next »I wish I was more like him. It is the one thing I don't like about myself... being so hung up on what everyone thinks of what I've done or said, whether it is important, relevant or creative.
It must be the most freeing experience in the world to be so passionate about the process and completely disengaged from the product. I am jealous. He is completely unique in his lack of desire for approval.
I think the point is that Depp is totally concerned about the creative process, not the sentimental looking back on the finished product, or the need for admiration from others. He and his director know what the goals were, and if they acheived them, that's what matters.
This is refreshing to read. It's the action taken, the creative movement that is the goal, not the adoration that drives him.
Creative people are often asked about letting go of their product, as if they were children of ours. It's validating that another individual connects with the outcome, but it's the execution of invention that spurs Artists.
In my experience, the more you concentrate on the rewards of the work, the less likely you are to actually DO it. The writer who dreams of winning the Pulitzer prize never actually puts pen to paper. The writer who enjoys the creative process can be prolific and brilliant. Then, he might even win a Pulitzer.
Enjoying the process is essential to being productive. Because, let's be honest, you'll be spending the majority of your time creating, and a minority of it enjoying the rewards. If you don't enjoy the creating part, it's probably not worth the rewards part.
Being an Art Therapist I can totally agree with the process being more important then the product in terms of creativity. I work with adults who are 'stuck in their life/work'. Most heared objections to start art therapy are: I cannot draw/paint/sculpt aka I am not creative. And I assure people: we are not going to produce art, it will not be to display at home - it will be about the process of creating.
Whilst creating people encounter and overcome obstacles, their creative mind gets stimulated and suddenly they see options again. They will become more aware of small things like: leaves on a tree, flowers, skies filled with clouds. And they start to love what they create - they recognize what a huge part of themselves they put into it.
I admire Johnny Depp for concentrating on the work, on the process and the results he gets by doing so.
How does he improve? How does one get better if there is nothing to measure?
Agreed wholeheartedly. As a web designer, my best comes out when I'm totally immersed in the process, in the flow as some may say. But besides this focus Depp also exhibits complete detachment from the end result, which is a liberating and powerful strategy. In doing this his best energies are harnessed, and this allows him to truly stand out. That is why he's one of the few pure artists left in Hollywood.
I end with a quote that I think holds the essence of the article above:
“Basically, I no longer work for anything but the sensation I have while working.” - John Gay, English poet & dramatist
Good point, Mark. There've been many times where people will ask me where my writing ended up, and I often come up blank. I don't know. I know who I sold my words to, but what they did with those words or where they ended up being posted... not entirely sure.
Because for me, it's all about creating the work. Once it's created, it's onto the next project. I take more enjoyment in figuring out how to make my website content do what I'd like it to do and evoke the emotion I want it to evoke than follow it around the world to see where it went.
Glad to know this makes me successful with my creativity ;)
Thanks for the great comments everyone.
@Adam - This nails it:
@David - Very good question. He must have some kind of feedback loop. I'll add that to my list of questions if I ever get to interview Mr Depp for Lateral Action! ;-)
@Cristian - You get bonus points for quoting John Gay, the only famous poet to hail from my home town of Barnstaple in North Devon!
I like the line you are taking with this - I think it's about balancing what you can do and what is out of your hands. If he can't affect the cut, the marketing etc. he protects himself by only dealing with what he can affect. It's more about taking responsibility about the things you do.
On your rewards discussion there is a very good post on Fresh Creation
Hi Mark,
Great article, as always. As an expressive artist and intuitive painting teacher I am always trying to convince people that the real juice and aliveness and JOY of creativity comes from the creative experience itself. The creative "product" is always old news once it has been completed. It's like an artifact of the creative journey, so I think that Johnny Depp is definitely on the right track. And like you said, he's obviously a major creative force and a great role model to follow!