John Darnielle Quotes

The trick to having good ideas is not to sit around in glorious isolation and try to think big thoughts. The trick is to get more parts on the table.

Movies are a collaboration, I feel, so I didn't think of myself as an authoritative figure as much.

In effect, I feel like a blind, deaf, and illiterate person working through the sensibilities and multiple, real talents of other people. Everything I do is collaborative.

I never considered myself to be a star - only a forward working for the team.

When we have a brilliant idea, instead of making others think it is ours, why not let them cook and stir the idea themselves.

I like the idea of collaboration - it pushes you. It's a richer experience.

Listen to Everyone. Ideas come from everywhere

...when you collaborate with someone else on something creative, you get to places that you would never get to on your own. The way an idea builds as it careens back and forth between good writers is so unpredictable. Sometimes it depends on people misunderstanding each other, and that's why I don't think there's any such thing as a mistake in the creative process. You never know where it might lead.

I've learned that if you can keep it calm and keep it fun and loose, then that allows for ideas from the crew. I don't care where an idea comes from, whether it's the crew or my producer or the actors or anybody. I just want it to be fun, and if that's the case, then I think you make a better movie.

I think... you know, collaboration, in general - no matter movies, television or Broadway - is offering of what you can bring to the table and also fighting what you think the important battles are. Not everything is going to make it in there. Not everything is going to work. You have to collaborate. And you have to be a good listener.

Like any corporation, I have the benefit of the brainpower of everyone who is working for me. It all ends up being my work, the corporate me, but everyone extends ideas and comes up with suggestions.

I can come up sometimes with ideas for scenes that I'm not in, to make it better or add something. It's not about me, or my ego, that I wanna show this or that.

If I collaborate with people, ideas...they take interesting turns and twists, and I'm excited for that and that process and excited to see what we come up with.

Sometimes you give birth to something or you're part of a team that gives birth to an idea, and it grows and has a whole life of its own, and you feel grateful. It's just so humbling.

Creative collaboration is awesome.

BuzzFeed started as a lab with a small team where we would play with ideas.

I guess some people are brilliant enough to be brilliant on their own and never doubt anything and come up with fabulous things. But I think it's good to get into arguments with people and have them say, 'That sucks' or 'You're crazy' or 'That's cheesy' or 'What do you think of this?'

When you've written a movie, you then get together with a whole lot of people and make it. In many ways, I think it is far nicer to be with people rather than being completely solitary.

I keep a creative group around me.

I'm not under too much of an illusion of how smart or un-smart I am because filmmaking ultimately is about teamwork.

When I put something into motion, the creativity starts to make other people want to jump in, and then a lot of people get employed. I'm just like a shark, in that way. If I stop swimming, I'll die. But, it really is about that shared experience with people. I'm from theater, and that's really what theater feels like.

I would worry if I wasn't coming up with ideas, if I wasn't inspired.

When you get to really involve yourself with a piece and the other people, and you get to feel like it's a community and you're all building something together, it helps me to produce better work, I think.

The most genius thing about the way I create is to create with other geniuses.

I've always done character roles and tons of movies as the so-called star, but I always felt I was one of the team.