Inspirations #2 & 3: TED Talks on Creativity

I am a hardcore TEDaholic, and two of my favorite talks are a couple of very popular female writers talking about creativity:

Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity

Amy Tan on creativity

I found both of these talks to be pretty interesting, and Elizabeth Gilbert and Amy Tan are both idiosyncratic speakers – Gilbert a relentlessly touchy feely therapist and Tan a quirkily wooden school principal.  However, once you can get past this, there are some cool pretty cool ideas here.  And whether or not you’re a fan of either of these two ladies, it’s still interesting to hear from people who have managed to maintain a high level of creativity after having achieved incredible commercial success.

The only thing I don’t buy into at all is Gilbert’s idea that we should think of our creativity as “daemons” that are separate from ourselves.  It’s a recipe for schizophrenia, unless you’re a character in The Golden Compass.

Yeah, I was in People Magazine – but whatevs!

A couple of nights ago, my friend Amanda wrote on my facebook wall that I was in People Magazine.

AWHAAAA?!?!

Apparently, I am an importantly public figure whose every move must be chronicled and then facebooked about:

AWHAAAAAAAAA???

I put on some pants and flew out of the door at 9:20pm for the local corner store.  They did not have People.

Then I went to Rite Aid, where I found a People Magazine – and a deodorant ad on Page 71.  I had a panic attack at the Rite Aid counter that my friend Amanda had surreptitiously chosen 7:12pm and People Magazine as the time and vehicle with which to torment my soul.  When things don’t go right in my life, I skip directly ahead to paranoia.

Well, apparently Greenpoint, BK  is one week behind on People (and people are about 15 years behind on fashion, be they old Polish ladies or 20-something hipsters).

Finally, I took a walk during lunch the next day and went to the nearest Duane Reade in MANHATTAN to pick up the issue – the one with “The Bachelor” and “The Skank-Whore Fiancee” on the cover.  I flip to Page 71, and there it is:

Check it!

Here, let me help you:

OMG, it's me, the glamorous hippie who is also an NYU student and has a black boyfriend

Trust me, this is more mind-blowing in print – in your hands – than online.

This was a paparazzi photo of James Franco playing my custom Bushman Jenny ukulele on the set of “Eat, Pray, Love” while I stood in the background, laughing in a long-sleeved velvet dress in the dead of August – with a Mexican paper flower crown on my head (which, by the way, I wish I had the balls to steal for my three dimensional scrap book aka the bin in my closet).

But yes, I am in People Magazine!  I am “in” People Magazine like a Japanese person is “on” SNL (1/16 of a page v. 1/16 of  FRED ARMISEN)!

ANYWAY, my publicist will be sending out this impressive photo to “Wow” important industry connections very soon.

Meanwhile, if you have any press inquires, you can reach my publicist at thisisdefinitelyjenkwokspublicist@jenkwoktotallyhasapublicist.com.  You should expect a response right away.

Eat, Pray, Love and Other Cool Projects!

As some of you know, I just wrapped my first feature film!!!  I had a small (but principal!) role singing and playing ukulele in the movie Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts and James Franco.  This is the movie based on the smash hit book by Elizabeth Gilbert that was #1 for, like, 3 years.  More news when it hits theaters in 2011!

Also exciting news – drawing on my classical piano training (through college, in case you ain’t know!), I will begin shooting the short film “Diminished Chords” this week.  I’ll be in a principal role as a high school piano student who teaches a hearing impaired student to sing.  Awwwwww….

Finally, in the realm of theatre, I’ll be in a lead role in Big Girl’s Club, a superfun/sadistic play written and directed Leah Winkler of Everywhere Theatre Group.  It’s being presented at Here Arts Center as part of its Autumn Artist Lodge series.

Anyway, so much stuff!!!!!!!!  I think it’s safe to say that I’m offficially back from my “break” with these projects, my upcoming full length show (August 8 at Jalopy!) and the premiere of my music video, “Date an Asian” (August 16 at Bowery Poetry Club!)!

Please keep checking back for more updates and the “Shows” section for my performance schedule.

<3 Jen