You Can Put a Saddle on My Back...

‎"When you are a kid you are a cowboy in the morning, an astronaut in the afternoon, and an jungle explorer at night, and no one tells you that's wrong. When you grow up life tells you that's wrong. But don't let it."  - Guillermo Del Toro

Today we had an amazing opportunity to have a Q&A with both Jeffery Katzenberg (CEO of DreamWorks) and Guillermo Del Toro (Director). I got a lot out of Guillermo Del Toro's talk and I wanted to share it with you.

He talked a lot about doing what you love. He said our 20's are the most trying times of our lives because we don't know who we are, and we have this sense of urgency to figure it out, like we are late for life. When we pursue our dreams and be who we want to be, sometimes, people tell us it's wrong. Our parents tell us its wrong. Life tells us it's wrong. Before you know it, we are 40 with a job we hate and a life we don't enjoy. Then, the same cycle starts over when we have kids. No creativity is fostered. When we are young is the time to make mistakes, to screw up and go down the wrong path. To figure it all out. 

The older we get, the less we care what other people think about us. This is a quality we should possess when we are young and can make the most out of it. However, society takes away this impulse. It's constantly telling us what we should do and who we should be. Del Toro said, "In one hundred years no one is going to remember me or the people who criticized me. So what does it matter?"

We each have our own voice, that isn't the question. Whether our voice appeals to a few or the masses is the question. Often times, people will mold their voice to what they know will appeal to millions when they want fame or power. Then we end up with a bunch of voices that sound the same and no unique stories. As Guillermo put it, "the problem is we live in a honey boo boo fucking world." The key is to keep your voice and be who you are, don't let the pressure to conform consume your ability to tell your story; your wonderful, beautiful story. Since we are all a product of our own experiences, you are the only one that can tell a story with your perspective, your voice. This individuality is so valuable. Don't let the pressure of money and power change you and your voice.

However, I have to say, the best (funniest?) quote of the day definitely came from JK. 

"You can put a saddle on my back, but you're never going to break me or ride me."