We recently connected with Dylan Townsend and have shared our conversation below.
Dylan, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
They say enthusiasm is a superpower! To be enthused, in Greek, is to be close to God. I feel the energy of optimism is linked with an enthusiastic and grateful review of events, in one’s life.
It is possible to look at challenges and obstacles, as mistakes or failures. The truth, and where optimism is placed, is knowing there are no mistakes; only windows into further understanding and expanding beyonds one’s fears.
This is where optimism is crucial. In the down moments, when challenge makes life appear bleak. It’s also when we most rely on optimism to move us back into rigor and vitality.
For me, I feel deep down optimism stems from the constantly renewed belief that humans are good, that the universe in conspiring for us and that there is much to be optimistic about; even in the darkest days.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
For over 15 years now, my main focus is to create stories of meaning that also make people laugh. I believe the truth is much easier spread, when it’s wrapped in a bow of comedy. Film & Tv, are the perfect medium to educate through the subtle realms of comedy and I love to create satire around niche cultures. I have made projects around coffee hipsters, gastropubs, communes and cults with spiritual coaches, shamanism and new modalities of romance and partnership thrown in- all niche cultures that are at the forefront of what it is to be a Millennial today.
I began writing at 15, reaming poems and poems off until I found Journalism, which formalised my voice and structured my storytelling. From there, I merged my love of photography and film, with the written word, in the form of scripts and taking those imagined worlds onto screen with friends and incredible artists over time. It’s a journey that I still feel is only beginning, as the craft of storytelling is a lifelong endeavour- and many of the greats that I look up to- are in the latter years of their existence.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Humbleness as a quality is something that I had to learn the hard way. The amount of entitledness and ego I brought with me at the beginning of my career, was an issue that held me back. There is a certain level of confidence required to make it in the entertainment business, but that should not be mistaken for the beautiful quality of humbleness- something I watch and admire in the Irish culture- from which I am from.
One of the main skills in entertainment is persistence. Persist at all costs, at all locked gates, at all shut doors. The only way to successfully create a continued career in filmmaking, is to continue at all costs and never quit before the miracle.
With regards areas of knowledge. I feel the major requirement for attaining knowledge in film, is being obsessed with human dynamics, partnership and the world in general. To watch as many films as possible, and to learn the rhythm of film and of humanities great unending saga of a story, that changes everyday.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents taught me to always see the bright laughter in all situations. There is always something to smile at and my parents found a way to joke, make fun and have the gas( as we say in Ireland) in situations that may have felt stuck or low. That enthusiasm, joy and cheerful countenance is something I am forever grateful for… and the fact, they always entertained in our home-it was an open door and many magical beings walked through it- With that, I got to hear from some incredible storytellers from a young age, and this stays with me… Thanks Peter & Lorna 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dylantownsend.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylan.p.townsend/?hl=en
Image Credits
No specific image credits
