Creativity, Courage, and the Future of Storytelling
Part 2: Diving Deeper into Film & Creativity
Hello, and welcome to part 2 of our two-part conversation on film and the movie industry. I’m Cyan, and together Graham and I create these conversation-style video newsletters. If you missed part 1, where Graham talks about his time on Heartland and his personal decision to leave, you can find it here.
In this edition, we continue that discussion, blending photos, video clips from the interview, and written reflections. We explore why people cling to ideas that they want to be true, the role of AI, how Graham envisions the future of film, and much more. This conversation was a powerful one for both of us. I hope you enjoy!
Rapid Fire Q&A
I thought it would be fun to switch things up from our usual interview style and do a rapid-fire Q&A with Graham. Here’s a snippet from one of the questions I asked:
Question: Hardest scene you’ve ever had to play?
Answer: “The death of Ty’s dad. That was really hard. And the plane crash scene, where Ty and Scott are in the plane crash.”
Check out the full video below to see more fun, quick responses from Graham!
Beyond Rumours: Understanding the Stories We Choose
In part 1, we talked about separating fact from fiction, especially when it comes to stories people want to believe. In this edition, we go a layer deeper. Graham and I explore why people cling to certain narratives and how you can tune in to your own heart to find what feels true.
Graham explained that people often gravitate toward stories, rumours, or narratives that confirm what they want to believe. These stories may validate a feeling or help people avoid facing something uncomfortable in their own lives.
Below, Graham shares his personal experience with not following his heart,
“I was in a situation where someone told me something I wanted to hear. If I had tuned in and listened to my heart, I would’ve known it wasn’t true. I ignored my heart and listened to my head because it fit the life and belief system I wanted.
When the truth came out, I thought, ‘How did I miss this?’ It was because I wasn’t tuned in. I wasn’t listening. I wasn’t present.
Since then, I’ve learned how important it is to check in with my heart and feel the truth. Some people call it a vibration. You’ll know it when you stand still, breathe, and just be. If it doesn’t make sense right away, don’t rush it.
Over time, the truth emerges. It’s felt in the heart first, and then it makes sense logically.”
Following Passion
On the topic of listening to your heart, I asked Graham what advice he would give to someone who is wanting to start following a passion, whether that be beginning to make films or write a book.
Graham emphasized that you can’t let anyone else dictate when or how you practice what you love. You do not need permission to do things that you enjoy, and you need the release the fear of being bad.
“The beautiful thing is that if it’s a good story, people will forgive you for a shaky camera or a grainy picture.”
He also encouraged you to get honest about what you truly love in storytelling, writing, or acting. If the motivation is “I just want a big hit” or “I want to feel valuable because I don’t feel that way inside” then the creative path can become a search for external validation rather than genuine expression.
Graham shared that, for many people, his younger self included, the desire to enter creative fields often stems from a lack of self-worth or self-love. We imagine that if we make that something everyone else admires, then we’ll finally feel worthy or loved.
But when the impulse comes from a different place, when you feel inspired, when you can’t stop thinking about making films, when you genuinely love the process, then nothing can get in your way. That’s the place he encourages you to create from.
You can listen to Graham’s insights in the video below.
This two-part series has focused on the film industry. Graham shared that he envisions it being a part of his future, whether through creating his own films or continuing to act. Coupled with his podcast, poetry, and other creative projects, it’s clear he expresses himself in many different ways. So I asked him:
If you could create your own dream film project without any limitations, budget constraints, anything, what would it look like?
“I have thought a lot about this and for many years I have written different scripts in my life and had fun times exploring things. One that I’m excited about creating comes from a reoccurring dream that I’ve had about flying. This dream has evolved to now where I am teaching people how to fly.
The film I want to make is from this perspective of what it means to fly, because there’s a deep metaphor there for me. Many times in my life I have got outside my comfort zone and I’ve participated in something or faced a fear and then I come out of it and I feel like I was on top of the world, like I could fly.”
“The film would capture that state of being so fully alive in the present moment, when you’ve faced your fears, moved through what once held you back, and feel as though you could lift off and fly
The premise is you have to feel no self-doubt, you have to completely love yourself, and then you have to look where you want to go. Those are the three rules in my dream of how to fly, which is funny because it’s exactly what I feel like are good principles for navigating your life.”
Now it’s your turn to dream a little.
If nothing was holding you back, what film or book would you create?
Technology & Its Influence
It wouldn’t be a conversation about film without touching on the impact of changing technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Graham expressed that these conversations are important to have:
“Technology will continue to change every aspect of our lives because it changes how we express ourselves.”
If you look at the film industry, gradual change has been a constant with improvements to cameras, special effects, lighting, and more. These advancements have made movies what they are today, think Avatar or Superman. What is new, is the accelerated rate of change because of AI. This is relatively uncharted territory and it’s important to consider its impact on the film industry and beyond.
Graham shared how he views AI as both a tool and a threat. He personally uses AI as a tool for brainstorming, organizing thoughts, and proofreading, but it can’t replace the reflective practices of journaling, walking, praying, or talking to yourself.
He also raised an important caution: OpenAI plans to introduce ads in ChatGPT, using chat history, even deleted chats, to target users. Essentially, if you’re using the free version, you are the product. This raises concerns about privacy and the creation of detailed personality profiles that could be misused.
“AI is a wonderful tool if it celebrates your humanity, if it allows you to continue to grow.”
Graham warned that if storytelling with AI is driven only by the desire to make more stories cheaply for profit, we risk a world flooded with low-quality content with little real value. Technology will keep evolving and opening doors for new creators, but with that freedom comes the risk of mass-producing stories that are irrelevant and empty. In the video below, he gives an example that perfectly captures the difference between AI-generated films and those made by humans.
Thank you for tuning in to part 2 of this newsletter series. These conversations were meaningful, spanning everything from Graham’s reflections on Heartland to his thoughts on creativity, storytelling, and the growing influence of AI. As always, his insights invite us to look inward and stay connected to what lights us up.
If you are a paid subscriber, you can watch the full video interview below.
Go forth with a quiet mind and a grateful heart.
-Cyan
A Closing Message From Graham
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