Master your anxiety. Unleash your genius | Jesse Eisenberg for Big Think+
TLDRIn this candid and reflective script, actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg delves into the driving forces behind his professional endeavors. He candidly discusses the role of negative motivators such as anxiety, fear, and self-doubt in propelling his creative work. Eisenberg also shares his experiences in the public eye and the criticism he has faced, emphasizing the importance of focusing on one's craft rather than external validation. He talks about his strategies for maintaining a productive mindset, including avoiding self-consciousness by not watching his own movies or reading reviews. As a director, he highlights the value of collaboration and learning from others, particularly when working with more experienced individuals. Eisenberg's narrative is a testament to the power of embracing vulnerability and the unexpected benefits of stepping out of one's comfort zone in the pursuit of creative excellence.
Takeaways
- 🎭 Jesse Eisenberg discusses the role of anxiety and fear as motivators in his career, suggesting that negative emotions can be reframed as fuel for motivation.
- 🤔 He acknowledges self-hate and self-consciousness as personal motivators, indicating that even successful individuals can struggle with negative self-perceptions.
- 📚 Eisenberg expresses a constant worry about the future of his career, highlighting the universality of such fears among professionals in various fields.
- 🌟 He emphasizes the importance of creativity and thinking outside the box, alongside the drive to excel that comes from a place of worry and the fear of failure.
- 🎬 In his acting career, Eisenberg has learned to cope with public scrutiny and unexpected criticism, which can heighten the pressure on actors due to constant media attention.
- 🚫 To maintain his focus and avoid self-consciousness, he avoids watching his own movies, reading reviews, and immersing himself in the promotional aspects of his work.
- 🧘 He has found that creating a 'bubble' to work in, away from external pressures, allows him to perform at his best, suggesting that different individuals require different environments to thrive.
- 🎥 As a director, Eisenberg has learned that traditional leadership qualities are not always the most effective, and that understanding and leveraging the strengths of each team member is crucial.
- 🤝 He values collaboration over being right, seeking to work with people who have good or better ideas, which fosters a more creative and productive working environment.
- 📽 In directing, Eisenberg discovered that it's more beneficial to allow actors to perform freely rather than trying to control every aspect of their performance, leading to a more enriched and enjoyable production process.
- 🤔 He admits to feeling intimidated when directing highly experienced actors but learned that providing feedback and engaging in a dialogue is essential for a successful director-actor relationship.
Q & A
What are the motivating factors that Jesse Eisenberg mentions for himself?
-Jesse Eisenberg mentions that his motivation comes from effort, talent, creativity, but also from negative motivators such as anxiety, fear, self-hatred, and self-consciousness.
How does Jesse Eisenberg perceive the common myth about actors?
-Jesse Eisenberg believes it's a myth that actors are always confident and full of themselves, as he himself has to cope with being a public figure and receiving unexpected criticism.
Why does Jesse Eisenberg avoid watching his own movies and reading reviews?
-He avoids these things to prevent becoming self-conscious and obsessed with things he cannot control, which he finds helps him work more effectively.
What is Jesse Eisenberg's approach to leadership in directing?
-Jesse Eisenberg does not see himself as a traditional leader who leads a group into battle. Instead, he focuses on knowing what everyone does and how to get the best from them, valuing collaboration and subtle, relatable motivation.
How does Jesse Eisenberg handle working with more experienced professionals?
-He approaches it with humility and a willingness to learn, deferring to the expertise of others and creating a space for them to excel.
What does Jesse Eisenberg believe is the key to effective collaboration?
-He believes that the key is to be open to others' ideas, to react to the collaborator's intentions, and to not try to micromanage their work, allowing them to fully live in their roles.
How did Jesse Eisenberg overcome his initial intimidation when directing Julianne Moore?
-He overcame his intimidation by realizing that she, like any other actor, would appreciate and want his feedback and direction, leading to a fun and productive collaboration.
What is the main priority for Jesse Eisenberg when directing a movie?
-The main priority for Jesse Eisenberg is that the characters are loose, alive, and complicated, which he believes is more important than having the actor in an exact place for technical reasons.
How does Jesse Eisenberg feel about his own acting abilities compared to others?
-Jesse Eisenberg acknowledges that he may not be the best actor or the most knowledgeable about stories, but he finds it more effective to focus on contributing ideas and being part of a collaborative process.
What does Jesse Eisenberg suggest for people who are not naturally outgoing or loud leaders?
-He suggests that they think of the best leaders they've worked for and emulate their quiet, sweet, and relatable ways of motivating others, rather than trying to be a loud and bombastic leader.
How does Jesse Eisenberg describe the experience of directing his first movie?
-Jesse Eisenberg describes it as a learning experience where he had to overcome his initial intimidation and realize the importance of giving feedback and direction to even the most talented actors.
What advice does Jesse Eisenberg give for dealing with self-doubt and fear?
-He suggests reframing anxiety and fear as fuel for motivation and care, which can help reduce worry and increase productivity.
Outlines
🎭 The Drive of Creativity and Fear
Jesse Eisenberg discusses the complex nature of motivation, which for him includes both positive aspects like effort, talent, and creativity, and negative motivators such as anxiety, fear, self-consciousness, and self-hatred. He shares his constant worry that his last job might be his final one and how meeting people in other fields who have forged their own paths reveals a commonality in these motivations. Eisenberg emphasizes the importance of reframing anxiety into a source of fuel and motivation, which can lead to less worry and more drive. He introduces himself as an actor, writer, and director, and talks about his recent work on a movie called 'A Real Pain.' He also addresses the misconception that actors are always confident, given the public nature of their work and the criticism they often face in unexpected places. Eisenberg admits to being self-critical and self-doubtful, and he has created a 'bubble' to work at his best, which includes not watching his own movies or reading reviews, and avoiding movie advertisements to prevent self-consciousness.
🎬 Collaboration and Leadership in Filmmaking
Eisenberg explores the themes of humility, learning from others, and deferring to their expertise as key assets in his career. He reflects on his experiences in acting classes, where he learned the importance of reacting to collaborators and performing in conjunction with their intentions. He shares insights from directing his latest movie, where he allowed his lead actor, Kieran Culkin, to improvise and bring a loose, alive, and complicated character to life, despite it being a departure from his original script. Eisenberg admits his initial reluctance to direct Julianne Moore in his first film due to intimidation but soon realized that providing feedback and engaging in a collaborative process was essential for a successful outcome. He emphasizes the importance of not trying to control others' work but instead helping them excel in what they do best. Eisenberg concludes by encouraging those who may not see themselves as traditional leaders to think about the qualities of the leaders they admire and to apply those in their own collaborative efforts.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Motivation
💡Anxiety
💡Fear
💡Self-Hatred
💡Creativity
💡Public Persona
💡Self-Doubt
💡Leadership
💡Collaboration
💡Humbleness
💡Improvisation
Highlights
Jesse Eisenberg discusses how anxiety and fear can drive motivation and creativity.
He shares his experiences of self-doubt and self-criticism as an actor.
Eisenberg emphasizes the importance of reframing anxiety as fuel for motivation.
He talks about the common motivations among successful people, including worry and fear of failure.
Eisenberg dispels the myth that actors are always confident and full of themselves.
He shares how he copes with being a public figure and receiving unexpected criticism.
The actor reveals he does not watch his own movies or read reviews to avoid becoming obsessed.
Eisenberg discusses his approach to leadership as a director, focusing on getting the best from his team.
He admits he is not a great leader in a traditional sense but excels at collaborating and empowering others.
The actor-turned-director shares his experiences working with talented actors like Julianne Moore and Kieran Culkin.
Eisenberg emphasizes the importance of allowing actors to bring their own unique interpretations to a role.
He talks about the challenges of collaborating with more experienced or successful colleagues.
The director shares how he overcame his intimidation working with Moore by focusing on giving useful feedback.
Eisenberg stresses the value of humility, openness to learning, and deferring to others' expertise.
He discusses how acting and directing require reacting to and collaborating with others.
The actor shares his approach to creating a 'bubble' that allows him to work at his best.
Eisenberg reflects on the importance of not trying to control or engineer others' work.
He concludes by emphasizing the joy and enrichment of allowing talented people to fully express themselves.
Transcripts
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