We recently connected with Lena Murisier and have shared our conversation below.
Lena, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding my purpose has always been a big thing for me.
From an early age, I struggled to concentrate on just one thing. I remember the moment I finished school and faced the daunting task of applying for my first job — I was clueless. Not because I didn’t want to work. Oh no, I couldn’t wait to get started. I just didn’t know where to start. So many fascinating careers, how do I commit to one? I wanted to do it all. And I did. For several years, I worked in insurance, hospitality, event coordination, marketing and advertising. Finding joy in each and learning from every new experience.
But the truth is, I always wondered what the next thing would be because deep down I knew I hadn’t found my purpose yet. That was until I found screenwriting. It’s the one thing I never could get enough of. And I soon realized why. All those things I wanted to be, the careers I wanted to experience, the lives I wanted to live, I could immerse myself in them through my writing. Suddenly, I was all those things. Suddenly, it all made sense. I found my purpose and I never let go.
But why? Why did I need that? I always felt like the outsider. Never truly belonged. Always wondered. There’s nothing like art to say what you need to say. I would know, I used the short films I wrote and directed in film school to come out to my family members because I simply didn’t know how else to.
My purpose is to create content that can be that for someone else. Content that can help people say what they simply don’t know how to say.
There’s so much rejection in this world, misunderstanding and limiting beliefs. If you don’t fit the mold, life can become excruciating. What I came to realize is that when people reject others, it’s often out of fear. Fear comes from misunderstanding. Misunderstanding comes from inexperience.
That’s where film and television come in. It unites people from everywhere. You might be surrounded by people that look or identify like you, but through film and television, you fall in love with characters that are completely different from anything you’ve ever known. Film and Television have this incredible power to immerse viewers into someone else’s life, someone else’s experience, someone else’s cultural background or sexual orientation. Suddenly, your world expands. You experience something else than your own reality which leads to understanding which leads to acceptance.
I believe stories can build bridges between people, between communities. Isn’t that what the world needs most? I want to be one of the many talented writers who build bridges and make the world a kinder place. That’s my purpose.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m from Switzerland and currently live in LA. I have experience writing for film, documentaries and games. I was the co-writer and associate producer on ‘A Girl Like Him’ with Emmy Nominee Tovah Feldshuh (‘The Idolmaker’, ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’). We just won an award at the Toronto International Women Film Festival, and I can’t wait to share this special movie with the world. I’m also finishing up a thriller for an Oscar-winning producer who produced some of my favorite movies.
The goal is to continue writing and producing meaningful and entertaining stories, and hopefully, spend more time in writers rooms surrounded by other amazing creatives.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I’ll start with networking. I’ve always made it a point to reach out to execs, get myself on their radar, but more importantly, to make genuine connections with people. No matter if you have a manager/agent or not, just writing is never enough.
Then there’s determination and courage. This path isn’t easy. You’re going to face rejection, a lot of it. But if this is your purpose, you’ve got to keep pushing through. It’ll be worth it in the end.
And writing, well, that’s the heart of it. Write every day, no matter what. When you start getting paid to write for producers, it’s sometimes difficult to make the time to work on your own stuff. I struggle with that sometimes. I get so busy working on other projects, that I sometimes don’t put enough time aside for my own. But this year, I’m making sure that every week, I set time aside to write my own scripts.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Patience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lenamurisier.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenamurisier/?locale=en_US
