About

I had the distinct pleasure of recording a conversation with my friend and creative collaborator Rob Raffety. Almost for as long as I’ve been making movies, I’ve been running ideas by Rob, so I was excited to talk with him about why we do creative work, where we get validation, and how we keep going in the face of uncertainty and doubt.Some of the things we cover:Why do we do creative work?What have we learned from our work in filmmaking, and how have we changed in our approach since we first started?How can artists tell if they’re any good, especially when friends and family tend to be so encouraging?The difference between trying to succeed as an artist vs. trying to succeed as a professional athlete.Does creative work need to be “saying something” about current culture? If you’re not a social change agent, do you still have a place?Mentions:Chernobyl, created by Craig MazinScriptnotes, hosted by John August & Craig MazinMuck, Rob’s short filmTrailer for #humbled, the feature film Rob & I co-producedRob’s personal websiteThe Rosebud Film Festival Get full access to What Really Matters at russellmaxsimon.substack.com/subscribe