I met Jonas in 2020 when he was producing and directing a series of short films for his project, Challenge 44, which consisted of making 44 short films in the course of three months. I remember going to set for the first time thinking I would just observe the whole thing, but I ended up acting, sound assisting, and scriptwriting for some of his films.
Like this one, where we got to shoot in Lisbon’s south bay area:
From then on, I began to admire the way he works and decided he would be a perfect fit for the launching of this new series in my blog where I attempt to profile creative people whilst talking about their process. We sat down on a Saturday afternoon and had a very relaxed and pleasant conversation.
Background and education
Jonas was born in Ratzeburg, Germany, and got interested in the creative world at a young age, around 6 years old. Back then, he was fascinated with the power of fantasy storytelling and thought of becoming a writer in that genre. But, with the release of fantastical epic adventure sagas, such as Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, a new door opened. He didn’t have to only imagine those universes anymore, now he could see them. And just like so he was hooked on the film format and language.
His first project, at 15, was entitled Neverland, a story of four teenagers trying to escape a nightmare. He then went to acting school and did some acting-related jobs. But after a year, he grew apart from it, as he says:
“I’m not very fond of being in the industry as an actor. Unless you have some star-status, you don’t have a lot of leverage on which kinds of projects you do… If you get to act on any project that is paid, it is great. But that is not the space I want to move into. At the same time, I found my love in directing, because I was in charge of the story, and not of just one little piece of it. I will come back to acting at some point, I still love it, but now is not the right time. Good acting to me comes from a very rich life, so living this life first doesn’t seem too bad of a choice”
When it comes to schooling and formal education in creative arts, Jonas affirms it is not his favorite way of learning.
“Right now I have cameras, I have people, I have the environment around me… I don’t need anything. I don’t need a professor to tell me, my restrictions for my next short film that I have to shoot on celluloid and can only be 10 minutes long and… oh, by the way, here’s the topic you have to talk about in the movie. No, thank you.”
For him, a Do-It-Yourself approach to creativity can be just as effective and sometimes even more promising.
“Your own creation in comparison to the creation you aspire it to look like lacks something and you can figure out where the problem is exactly and then investigate. And because you investigate, it is your own thought and you find your own answers.”
The process
Jonas likes to start his projects with a moment of solitude in which he tries to figure out what exactly is he wants to transmit. He proceeds to an extensive outline each step of the way, constructing a story, its arc, and its characters. It is only after he has a clear idea of how each scene begins and ends that he proceeds to write them down.
As much as he “doesn’t like anyone in his head” during the writing, when it comes to the shooting, good communication is key, as well as a sense of collaboration. It can get difficult on-site when things get a little out of control, but it is important to love the chaos. Going through that process and conquering it, is very satisfactory and, in his opinion, is what makes him and others go back to it each time.
The process is something very personal, where right or wrong does not really apply.
“I don’t think there is a secret. Everyone needs to find their own answers. They can try different things. But for sure, there’s not only one way that things work out. Some people love to work in restaurants with other people talking around them, and others need a lockdown workspace. Everyone should consider their own needs and wants and should not feel restricted by however they are supposed to work. It comes down to all different aspects from outlining, to how many drafts you have.”
Recurrent themes and inspirations
Fantasy and fantastic worlds are a go-to style for Jonas, since, in theory, it is easy to create a whole new world and manipulate its laws, principles, and cause-consequence relations, as well as compare it to our real world. These are good elements for storytelling and entertainment.
Apart from it, the idea of exploring deeper themes like meaning, existentialism, and legacy in movies is very intriguing, he says, even though quite challenging. The interest for such subjects came from reading the books of Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, and Jordan B. Petterson, 12 Rules for Life.
In terms of craftsmanship, Jonas finds inspiration in the works of directors Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and David Fincher, but also in his mentor-figure, entrepreneur Shane Melaugh.
What is he doing now?
Jonas in his work place, in Lisbon
Jonas works for Ikario, a media company, producing video content. He also has a production company called Phantasy Productions. In his spare time, he goes horseback riding, creates a fantasy game, and helps out friends in their creative projects.
You can find more details about Challenge 44’s rules in this video, as well as the films on his YouTube channel.
After reading The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa I became an instant fan of the guy. Of his style of writing, of his stories, of his creativity. Notes on the Death of Culture: Essays on Spectacle and Society (La civilización del espectáculo) was no different. This book really spoke to me because it is a critic of today’s society and how our lives have become some sort of show which is not supposed to last very long or be remembered.
“What do I mean by civilization of the spectacle? That of a world in which entertainment occupies first place on the chart of current values, where having a good time, escaping boredom, is a universal passion. this life ideal is perfectly legitimate, of course. Only a puritan fanatic could reproach the members of a society who want to provide entertainment, recreation, humor and diversion to lives generally framed by depressing and at times numbing routines. But to convert that natural penchant for having a good time into a supreme value sometimes had unexpected consequences. These include the banalization of culture, the spread of superficiality, and, in the specific field of information, the proliferation of irresponsible journalism, which feeds off gossip and scandal.”
One of the subjects he extends himself in, and I enjoyed very much, is culture. He mentions how in the past there used to be high and low culture. The first belonged to the upper class and the latter to the lower one (I don’t even think the middle class really existed until the Industrial Age). That distinction provided the environment for the creation of great art, music, plays, etc.
This is such a controversial topic, because as much as it is important to universalize knowledge and culture there is a paradigm switch, from culture back then being something transcendent and meaningful to now being almost purely for entertainment, extremely commercial and very temporary.
“The essential difference between the culture of the past and the entertainment of today is that the products of the former sought to transcend mere present time, to endure, to stay alive for future generations, while the products of the latter are made to be consumed instantly and disappear, like cake or popcorn.”
I also found very interesting his take on the part intellectuals play in our society today.
“Because in the civilization of the spectacle, intellectuals are of interest only if they play the fashion game and become clowns.”
I agree with him on this one. In the past, we had leaders in our communities such as Gandhi or and Mandela who truly change their era because of their points of view and their attitude. Today, so much of the will to change the world get lost in our noisy way of living. Of course, we do still have such leaders, but their scale is not as broad as in the past.
Besides culture, he goes about how the spectacle spirit “poisoned” everything, from art to politics, from religion to economy, and even our sex and love lives. His writing can bring a lot of that “back in those days things were better” sentiment. Nonetheless, his arguments are solid and are reasonable.
One critique that can be made about this book and which is also valid it’s that though he presents the horrible state of our society today, he lacks in suggesting a solution. For me, after reading the book I don’t imagine how he could have come up with a list of solutions for so many deep and structural “problems”. Besides, that would mean writing a whole new book with completely different purposes than this one.
Anyway, I highly recommend this book for people who likes to discuss the topics of culture, society, art, culture, philosophy, political and economical systems… I don’t think is a read for everyone. So, if you can try a sample first, on kindle or elsewhere.
If you want, here are my affiliate links to these books in English and in Portuguese. ✨🤩
When I was 12 years old, I’ve traveled for the first time by myself, without my parents or my sister. I went off to a missionary program 1250km away from home. Yes, there were people to take care of us, and I was not the only kid participating. But that was the very first time I had to learn on my own how to be resourceful and independent.
At 17, I attempt my first solo-trip outside my country. This time the destination is Grand Rapids, Michigan in the United States of America. I spent a year living as an American. And right after graduating from university, at 22, I decided to go to Australia. On the first trip, outside of my country that I had to completely take care of myself. No “real” adults to watch over me.
That was the first time I left Brazil, considering another country as a possible future home. I lived in two cities for almost a year. I did not stay in Australia, but it did contribute to the beginning of an almost impossible quest it would last a long time: where/what is the ideal country and city to live in?
Today, after living in Portugal for the past two and a half years, I cannot yet say the search is over, but I can predict an inconclusive verdict it is on its way.
What is a global citizen/citizen of the world?
According to Wikipedia, global citizenship is “the idea that one’s identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader class: “humanity”. This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives their nationality or other, more local identities, but that such identities are given “second place” to their membership in a global community. Extended, the idea leads to questions about the state of global society in the age of globalization.”
The same idea that global citizens are not attached to their original roots and that their individualization is benefited by globalization can be seen in this article written by Irene Skovgaard-Smith republished at BBC WorkLife. Here, she mentions how this concept can be so negatively perceived by people and governance, at times.
This author also conducted a study with professionals from different backgrounds working in the Netherlands and what she concluded is that is not so much that people who leave their countries are rootless like some suggest, but rather that “they construct and share a cosmopolitan identity and sense of belonging. This means that they feel less attached to their nation of origin and cultural background.”
Although I do not feel less attached to my home country and to my culture, which ironically comes out strongly when I’m surrounded by people from other nationalities, I can get behind this idea of identity transcending geographic borders.
That’s not to say I believe in a borderless planet and an “international passport”. I think it is important to have different cultures, different stories, and views of the world. At the same time, my personal identity has expanded so much because of traveling.
I think this is one of the reasons I like to write in English because I feel the most inclusive this way. Because there are parts of me in all these places I lived in and they live in me. It is also why it has been hard for me to decide on a city to settle. I can see beauty and dark in all of them.
Does that make me a citizen of the world? Well, I have become much more open, understanding, empathetic, and connected to people from all around the globe and their issues. Much more curious about the way they live and what I could learn (and I have learned a lot). There are moments I think I have lost some of my “brazility”. At the same time, I think this way of life is not sustainable long-term, especially for the ones, who like me, have been hopping from place to place every two or three years. And then again, I still feel I have some more searching to do…
Not easy.
As my quest, this piece is also ambiguous and has not point other than re/starting a discussion about globalization and living abroad.
Following my dreams always sounded like a hard thing to do. With social media, I’ve seen the rise of so many great talents and there was a part of me that felt insecure to show whatever I’ve got. Either mine is not “as good as others”, “not as professional”, or because “it takes a long time to make”.
These 5 books helped me get out of my mind, let go of these and other excuses and begin tackling what I wanted.
1. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, by Brené Brown
In this book Brown challenges us to be more vulnerable and to open up with empathetic and trustworthy people about what causes us to feel shame. By doing so, she affirms shame will lose its power, allowing us to be even more daring, in our job, in our personal lives, and with ourselves. Building, consequently, a favorable and propitious environment for creativity to pour.
“Shame derives its power from being unspeakable.” – Brené Brown
2. The Flinch, by Julien Smith
This is a short book with a big message: some fears are good for you, most are NOT. Smith argues that fear was a great tool when we were cavemen. Back then, humans had to care, almost exclusively, for basic needs such as eating, sheltering, and escaping predators.
In our time, however, we have overcome these primitive necessities, yet the fear-instinct is still installed in our brains, stopping us from talking to strangers, having cold showers, or, perhaps, initiating a project we’ve always wanted to. We flinch with the idea of doing something that is a little out of our comfort zone and we should not.
“Behind every flinch is a fear or an anxiety – sometimes rational, sometimes not. Without the fear, there is no flinch. But wiping out the fear isn’t what’s important – facing it is.” – Julien Smith
3. The Artist Way, by Julia Cameron
This is one of my very favorite books ever. Cameron does a really good job of taking the reader into a journey of accepting the existing creativity in themselves. She makes sure to be inclusive while “deciding” what goes under this creative belt. Being creative does not mean you have to be a painter or a musician. If you’re an engineer, an entrepreneur, or even a leader of some sort you probably need creative ways to do so. There’s a 12- week spiritual and creative program in which Cameron guides us into a journey of digging things from the past and opening up for the future. One of the most beautiful arguments she makes is that: if it is your heart to make it if you can’t stop thinking about it, and when you do it you feel the greatest joy… that’s what you’re supposed to be doing. It has a powerful and healing message.
“Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.” – Julia Cameron
4. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert
This book, much like the previous one, helps us find peace with being creative. One of the greatest insights about this book is her take on ideas. I love how she says that ideas are just floating around waiting to be picked up by someone and how that is why, sometimes, one person might have an idea and not do anything about it, just to see someone else executing the exact same idea the day after. This is also another book that deals with fear, which in my opinion is the biggest threat to our dreams.
“A creative life is an amplified life. It’s a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life. Living in this manner—continually and stubbornly bringing forth the jewels that are hidden within you—is a fine art, in and of itself.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
5.Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck
The final book is another psych one. I find it very important to really understand the mind and how it works. It does give me “solid” reasons to explain to myself why I am doing things the way I am. Here, Dweck defines two types of mindset: the fixed and the growth one. The first is a fatalist and believes nothing can or will change, everything is fated. So, if you’re not a good painter or writer now, you will never be. The second one recognizes you might not be exceptional now, and in doing so finds space to grow and believes its possibility. Oftentimes, our dreams have to pass the test of time and persistence, no matter how talented we are. A growth mindset will probably get you there faster.
“This is something I know for a fact: You have to work hardest for the things you love most.” – Carol S. Dweck
Do feel inspired already? I hope so. If you have other suggestions for books like these, let me know in the comments!
![[Profiles] Jonas David, film director](https://anazarb.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Profiles-Jonas-David-Ana-Zarb-1080x675.png)
![[Book review] Notes on the Death of Culture: Essays on Spectacle and Society, by Mario Vargas Llosa](https://anazarb.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Notes-on-the-Death-of-Culture-Essays-on-Spectacle-and-Society-e1616083595393-1080x675.jpeg)
Recent Comments