Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Hammer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lisa, 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.
I never realized when I was younger that I would someday get creativity blocks. When you’re a kid all you have is your imagination and even though your life is structured, you don’t have grinding tasks (like bills, health, jobs, rent, etc.) to pull you out of your creative state. I was always in a creative state. Even having crippling anxiety, PTSD, and depression as a child, I was always able to disappear into my imagination and stay there for prolonged periods. Now as an adult, I have too many things pulling me into harsh reality: cancer, divorce, death of parents and friends, housing, bills, survival, politics, and the list goes on. The biggest time drain we have now is social media. I didn’t have that growing up, so my mind was mostly my own. Now it is hijacked from all sides. I go through long stretches of time where I only exist in the practical and not the creative plane. But once I see that I have been taken out long enough, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to pull me back in. First on the list: I go to an art museum. The creativity, history, and human expression housed within a museum’s walls is like a freight train of creativity hitting you. Lighting, composition, story, technique, and even the most abstract of art can jolt you out of your complacency and make you start thinking creatively again. A close second to art museums would be listening to music, of all styles. I listen to new things, and obscure things, and seek out underground and alternative music more than corporate “grocery store” music. I go down a rabbit hole. I look at other artists who are associated with or influenced by an artist whose music moves me. I also do this by watching classic, international, and indie movies. I dropped my Netflix/Paramount/Apple and signed up for the Criterion Channel and Kanopy, among other less commercial platforms. I read a good book, or I take a walk in the woods or botanical garden can help me, as can going to see a friend’s band or improv performances. I stay for the other bands and performers to see if there is anything they are doing that’s new and exciting. And lastly, I work with young artists who have the energy I once had when I was younger. It really helps! But I try not to beat myself up over creative blocks. It is time for your brain to sort things out and take in new stimuli before it goes back to creating.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hi I’m an award-winning film director, writer, composer, singer, and actress. Apparently, I am best recognized as the voice of Triana Orpheus on the Adult Swim cartoon “The Venture Bros”. I have directed independent dark comedy feature and short films such as “Pox” and “Pus$bucket”, and the CMJ Film Festival winner “The Invisible Life of Thomas Lynch” which I co-directed with James Merendino (“SLC Punk”). My films have won awards from the CMJ Film Festival, Telly Awards, Hugo Awards, It Came From Kuchar Film Festival, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, Canada International Screenplay Festival, Ontario Film Festival, Movies on a Shoestring, Antimatter, Indieworks and two from New York Press, to name a few. I have had one-woman shows at the Olympia Film Festival, Perth International Film Festival, and the Duolun Art Museum in Shanghai, China. My surrealist silent film “Empire of Ache” was acquired by The Getty Museum’s feminist film collection, curated by Miranda July. My original series “Maybe Sunshine” and my feature film “The Sisters Plotz” (With Eve Plumb) can be seen streaming internationally. I have a new series on Amazon Prime called “Great Kills” about a lonely Staten Island hitman, and I have several scripts in development with a new management team. I have hundreds of free soundtrack songs I composed for filmmakers available on freemusicarchive.org, and am recording two new albums for my post-punk band “Radiana” and my solo medieval/world music works. News about my films and music on my web site lisahammer.com.
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?
First, I think I was blessed to be dumb enough at a young age to forge ahead fearlessly. Now that time and events have tempered my spirit and mind a bit, I look at my work with wiser, more sober eyes. I create more methodically and slowly, and I appreciate everything more now than I did back then. I was impatient, impulsive, and a little nuts. I had no idea I was dealing with Anxiety, PTSD, and depression. Now I can analyze these obstacles and incorporate them into my work. But if you are just starting out, stay fearless and dumb. Forge ahead. Do not stop. It is over so fast!
Second, I never backed down from being creative, even when I faced ridicule and not fitting in. I dress like I don’t give a crap who is judging me. This translates into my art as well. I don’t create or live to please the masses. Just myself. And if others connect and find solace in my work, that makes me incredibly happy.
Third, I try to never burn bridges. There is no reason to be back-stabbing or toxic to “climb” your way to the middle. Just be great at what you do, keep making art, and my favorite thing of all; collaborate with and lift other artists up! Celebrate your friends and colleagues as often as you can. Show them they are important and are making a difference. I do this knowing full well that my efforts don’t need to be reciprocated. No strings attached. Just full support.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents accepted me as weird as I was. They encouraged me to be a free thinker and not a sheep. They never judged or criticized my punk outfits or my bizarre music and films. They just loved me and supported me no matter what. They didn’t try to form me into what mold they thought I should be in. I was shocked at how many of my friends were abused or bullied by strict parents into becoming the perfect little machines. I started dressing crazy and shaving my head in the 80s and lots of parents were calling my parents, asking them what the hell they were thinking, because now THEIR little girl was shaving her head and trying to be an individual. I thank my lucky stars every day that I had such a supportive upbringing!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lisahammer.com
- Instagram: @TheLisaHammer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLisaHammer/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelisahammer
- Twitter: @TheLisaHammer
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/lisahammer
- SoundCloud: https://radiana.bandcamp.com/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/thelisahammer
Image Credits
1. LiAnn Grahm and 2. Levi Wilson