Meet Kristofer Seppälä

We were lucky to catch up with Kristofer Seppälä recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristofer, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

When it comes to creativity and working on a new story as a writer, I envision it as finding a current in an ocean, looking for that “flow.” When that current isn’t appearing, it’s a sign that there is something I’m attached to that I need to let go of. As a writer it can be hard to do that, especially when you’ve got this story you clearly see bits and pieces of. When you start getting into it to put those all on paper, you may suddenly find that the “current,” the drive/engine behind that story, isn’t actually there. This is where you might need to “kill your darling” as the writing expression goes. There is something you are attached to that your story does not want, and that is what is blocking you from further creativity.

So, how to overcome this? The next step is to back away from the story. Set it aside for a bit, get your mind off of it. Even if you have a tight deadline and don’t have a week to put it off, just getting your mind off of it for an hour can do wonders. The subconscious is a powerful tool and will start working on your behalf without you stressing out about it. Once you’ve done that, go out and do something. Seek a new experience, whether that be something as simple as listening to new music or something more grand like a trip to another country. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but it is important that you create the fertile ground for it to blossom. Once you’ve done this, you may be surprised by what new and better ideas spring forth, and suddenly you’ve found that flow.

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?

I am a screenwriter and director (as well as an actor). What’s most exciting about this career pursuit is the variety of projects, collaborations, and opportunities. There’s no such thing as monotony in this business. There is discipline, long hours, and uncertainty at times—but I love all of it. You gotta love it because it is such a hard industry to be in, but it’s also incredible and unlike anything else.

I have a short film I recently made called “We Duel at Dawn!” that I am hoping will gain interest for a feature film. It’s a neo-western comedy set in our modern world, but gentlemen’s pistol duels still exist. A man who usually avoids conflict suddenly finds himself challenged to a duel to the death by his girlfriend’s ex, who just so happens to be the greatest duelist in the world.

I also have a few TV projects in development in Finland, Spain, and Sweden.

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?

Talent, networking, persistence. Talent is key, you have to prove you’re good at what you do, but it’s not the only factor. Networking is critical. The phrase “it’s all about who you know” is so true. More accurately, it’s all about who knows you. You have to get yourself out there and meet people who can help move the needle on your career and make them believe that working with you is also beneficial for them. Persistence is the most important quality in this business because you’re going to get told “no” a lot more often than you would like. But stick with it. Even if it gets to the point of being seemingly embarrassing that you’re not as far in your career as you’d like to be, just stick with it. If you know you’ve got the talent and you keep putting yourself out there meeting new people while creating new work, it will pay off.

How to improve on these? Talent is something you’re born with, but skill is something that can always be improved. So keep working on your craft to get better. When it comes to networking, find the events where the type of people you want to work with will be at. Networking is itself a skill on knowing where to go, who to talk to, and how to present yourself. The most important factor in all of that is to be authentic, be yourself. There is a bit of a “luck” factor in that you never know who you might meet and what will come out of these interactions. I’ve personally found that adopting the mindset of “expect nothing, be prepared for anything” has been most beneficial. When it comes to persistence, well…the only way to improve is to just keep on keeping at it. To have an artistic career is one of the hardest pursuits. It takes a certain shameless audacity to just stick with it.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden. It’s an absolutely fantastic book for anyone in any type of creative field. It’s a very easy read and I go back to it frequently. I got it as a gift from my parents back when I was a film student.

The following are some nuggets of wisdom from the book:

“In order to succeed in your failure, you have to think of your failed situation as a good place to start from.”

“How you present yourself is how others will value you.”

“Meetings are for those with not enough to do. A meeting is a performance, an act to convince people of their own importance. The real players don’t need to act out the meeting game. They roll up their sleeves and get on with the job.”

“Dreaming and talking about it won’t achieve anything. There is only one person who can determine the shape of your life. You. Who are you going to be?”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @creativenordic

Image Credits

Feature photo by Chase Anderson
Stills from “We Duel at Dawn!” directed by Kristofer Seppälä, shot by Theofanis Kavvadas