Abby Fuller: On Creativity
Marianna
What are some creative accomplishments you are most proud of?
Abby
Getting to work with subjects that I find to be creative legends and heroes like Cristina Martinez, Oprah Winfrey, Mashama Bailey, Ana Ros, Hamdi Ulukaya, and many others that are not household names. The honor to be entrusted to share their stories with the world has given me a great source of pride. I'm also very proud to have won a filmmaker grant from The NorthFace that allowed me to shoot a short independent film earlier this year that will premier at the MountainFilm Festival in May.
Marianna
Do you have any habits you've built for yourself to foster creativity?
Abby
There are no habits I currently use, but I would say that my inspiration and creativity usually come from dipping into extremes. And by extremes I mean: constraints/parameters and intense deadlines - or else the opposite extreme which is boredom and freedom. Of course, these two types of settings and conditions foster different types of creativity and progress.
However, what this speaks to is that I find it challenging to create while in the space between these extremes. For example, a weak wanting, a deadline far into the future, a busy day with just a few minutes to dedicate to creating... not a lot of good ideas happen in this space.
Marianna
Where do you think ideas come from?
Abby
I don’t know exactly….although I've learned from my daily meditation practice that our thoughts are constantly popping up, incessantly and uncontrollably. It's often called the monkey mind in Buddhist teachings. Ideas are a part of on-going mental consciousness.
What may distinguish ideas from other thoughts is that there they rise out of an intention or motivation to solve a problem or realize a desire. Then, you must acknowledge the idea as something actionable and hold onto it before it drifts away. This is perhaps how the formation of ideas comes to be.... but I'd be so interested in hearing from a neuroscientist or someone who has spent a lot of time thinking deeply about this.
Marianna
What does creativity mean to you?
Abby
I think that creativity is part of our evolution as a species and therefore is innate in everyone to some degree. We use our creativity to create tools, solve problems, communicate essential information, share our experiences, etc. and therefore it has been necessary for our survival.
Creativity is also linked to spirituality. That is because it is dependent on discovering or seeing something within yourself, not from observing the external world. I see creativity as inherently very personal and a practice that deepens your ability to know who you are.
Marianna
When do your best ideas hit you?
Abby
Usually when I am feeling good, excited, happy, motivated. The more empowered and confident I feel the more I can be aware of my creativity and listen to the ideas within and harness them into becoming something real. When I'm exercising, running outside particularly, I tend to feel inspired. Music can also get me there quickly. Listening to the right music at the right time allows me to step away from reality and be in the right headspace for ideas to emerge. (Disclaimer: not all ideas are good ideas.)
Marianna
What are the unexpected turns your life took to lead you to become who you are today?
Abby
Most of the turns have been unexpected. However, I've understood that my life is going to constantly evolve and change. I try not to have expectations about where / what / who I should be. Easier said than done though.
Marianna
What sources of inspiration do you use to foster creativity in your work?
Abby
I think identifying work that resonates with me has helped me try to find my own voice. By examining what it is that I like about a piece of art, music, film, I can hone in on what about it echoes the tones, colors, sounds, emotions, feelings, that I feel are similar to the way I would express myself. It's all about what resonates as truth for me.
While I very much appreciate films by Scorsese and am blown away by the writing and storytelling in a show like Fleabag or a documentary like Three Identical Strangers, it's when I happen upon films like Honeyland, Call Me by Your Name and Bigger Splash that I recognize myself in the piece and see something I'd love to create one day.
Marianna
How would you describe your creative process?
Abby
Some creative inspiration, but mostly hard work and continuous learning. Practicing the craft of good storytelling.
Marianna
What do you think is something that the most creative people in the world have in common?
Abby
All people are creative! We have our humanity in common.
Marianna
How do you make sense of chaos in your life?
Abby
This requires a deep conversation, but here is an oversimplified answer. Chaos is ever-present, both internal and external. It's about how we choose to respond to the chaos in any given moment that determines if we are drained by it or in flow with it.
Marianna
Why do you think people get stuck on problems?
Abby
Most likely the triggering of childhood trauma. We all have a 5-year-old living inside who just wants to feel safe and be loved. We can spiral in our problems if something frightens the child within us.
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About Abby Fuller:
Abby Fuller is an award-winning director whose work includes five seasons on the Emmy-nominated series Chef’s Table, Dear Oprah for Apple TV+, and the award-winning coming-of-age documentary featuring blind teenagers, Do You Dream in Color? She is a member of D&AD's Impact Council which supports and accelerates ideas with the potential to create positive change.
Last year Abby became the first recipient of the Move Mountains Female Filmmaker grant from The North Face. She directs commercial content and films for NonFiction Unlimited.
In addition to filmmaking, Abby is the co-founder of APD Farm, a regenerative grazing operation in Northern Virginia focused on healing ecosystems.