Now, Elif Shafak—one of the most widely read novelists in the world—shared an incredibly revealing look into her creative process. She says her aesthetic is characterized by a sort of “drunk home vibes.” What this unique methodology does is to elucidate her tendency to choose feeling over formula in her creative process. Most will identify with Shafak’s views on creativity, especially budding writers, and her point about allowing spontaneity and flexibility to shape a story is reassuring and refreshing.
In a spirited cultural moment, Hollywood actors George Clooney and Adam Sandler confessed their favorite movies to one another. Their perspectives brought to the fore films that continue to stir audiences today. Both actors discussed making these films and why they still matter decades later. They revealed what lies behind their cinematic inspiration and personal tastes. Their banter is as captivating as it is insightful, and it serves to emphasize the timeless narrative potential of film itself.
The Neanderthal valley in Germany is particularly interesting as it is the location in which the first Neanderthal was found. It was this finding that found Neanderthals to be a distinct species. This incredible finding has changed the landscape of what we thought about human evolution and the timeline of our ancestors.
Behind the cultural conversations, Santa Claus, Indiana—Santa’s official hometown—has a legacy that’s more sinister than most would expect. Having suffered almost complete destruction, an official visit by the United States in 1950 serendipitously resuscitated the dying town. The revival turned St. Nicholas’ hometown into a center of yuletide celebration, shrouding its stormy past in a layer of merry mystique.
Our dance world is changing quickly. Obviously, all of La(Horde), this progressive dance collective that is really at the forefront of breaking and rewriting the rules of ballet. They are at the cutting edge of the National Ballet of Marseille, working to actively reinvent ballet for a new age. By incorporating unexpected elements, their creative engagement pushes the boundaries of what we expect, bringing a new audience to experience and enjoy this unique art form.
In lighter anecdotes from the entertainment world, actor Alexander Skarsgård once nearly rented a room in actress Miriam Margolyes’ condo located in Santa Monica, showcasing the often-overlooked connections between celebrities. That’s the unexpected and really cool news former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern brought us today. She even auditioned to play a Hobbit in the famed “Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy! Even she wasn’t immune to some particularly Hollywood requirements during the audition process, showing how precarious casting in Hollywood can be.