The Creative Process: Musing on Jonah Hill's Stutz

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I recently stumbled upon Jonah Hill's film, Stutz. The thumbnail has an image of Jonah Hill's face with the word Stutz across it. So while I'd seen it before as I perused Netflix, I really hadn't thought to inquire further. However, Netflix's insistence on playing the trailer while I'm scrolling worked its magic. I clicked on it and was blown away by this film.

Not only does it share deep teachings on how to be a human as evidenced by Hill's interviews with his therapist, Phil Stutz. It peels back the layers to the creative process and all the messiness inherent.

As Jonah talks with his therapist, there is such obvious affection between the two. I've not seen on screen such a sweet intimacy between two men. Their humor threatens to serve as a shield for the deep emotions that come up during their discussions about each's loss of their brother and difficulties growing up. However, they are both quick to call each other out when using that particular avoidance technique. And that's a really beautiful thing to see - these two men sitting in their discomfort and emotions and being so thoughtful about their responses.

We learn Stutz has been Hill's therapist for many years and Hill's goals is to share some of Stutz's profound "tools" that have helped him. Ok, many of us have been to therapy and as Stutz relays it's typically the therapist's job to listen, not comment, and let the patient come to his own conclusions. Stutz was frustrated by that process so he comes up with his own visual tools to help patients. I won't go further into that now, but the tools are 100% worth checking out. I thought they were brilliant. (Looks like he wrote a book about them.)

Stutz has an almost ethereal quality at times. He suffers from Parkinson's disease, and shares that, while yes, he has suffered, he has learned profoundly from having these limitations. It almost sounds like channels from the universe have opened up and shared information with him about how to be a human.

While all of that is important and worth further study, I most love the moment in the film when Hill admits it's not working. He had this idea to make a film about his therapist, but it turns out he can't do that without making himself vulnerable and sharing more than he wants to about himself and his story. They discuss this and decide ultimately to keep going.

That moment is so profound to me. It is the moment of every creative project. Idea to execution. Somewhere in the middle it doesn't match up and what you thought you are making isn't what you are making, and maybe in fact, is a failure. When this happens, I like to institute the "project pause." When things are falling apart and you just don't know what to do, take a break.

It seems antithetical to getting the thing done. Just work harder at it your brain tells you. Power through and figure it out. But actually, sometimes you need to take a moment and let things go. Whether that be through a breath, a weekend or months and years. I've found in most cases, in the interim, the universe works some things out for you and you gain a different perspective that helps you see how to proceed.

In the movie, Hill does some deep breathing, they talk about it and move forward. I imagine there was much more hemming and hawing in the background and stewing and troublesome thoughts, and I get Hill has the whole of Netflix's bajillions behind him. BUT, this moment illustrates so clearly what we all need to do sometimes during the creative process. Let go and become a little more vulnerable. Terrifying, by the way. But that's where the good stuff happens.

Check out the film if you get a chance. You won't regret it.