Lee & JOHN discuss: 

• John’s multinational childhood, and the values it taught him

• Reaching your full potential and finding your success, even if not in a conventional sense

• Focusing on ‘autotelic’ work - content worth doing for its own sake and not for others

• Learning more from failure than from success

• The evolution, and current barren state, of cultural movements that inspired particular art styles and creative trends

• Finding meditation in your work

Links & references:

Lee Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

John Lloyd CBE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lloyd_(producer)

Get in touch: lee@extrology.com

Episode highlights:

“I'm very, very open and always have been to other languages and cultures. I like people from everywhere - people are much more similar than they are different, and cultural differences are only on the surface.” - 5:10 - John Lloyd CBE

“If your bicycle gets a flat tyre, you either take it to a shop with a man who knows about bicycles, or it’s not difficult to fix a puncture, you fix it. You don't just throw the bike away or go, ‘Oh, I'll have to ride it with a flat tyre, then’. With a person all too often we go ‘That's just the way I am, isn’t it? I'm just angry, I have to take drugs, I'm very depressed all the time.’” - 9:00 - John Lloyd CBE

“People want to be successful and want to achieve ‘conventional success’ - to become president, become managing director, win prizes, get rich, have more cars, have a lot of money that they won't be able to spend. This is looking in the wrong direction. Those things don't ultimately count in any meaningful way.” - 16:05 - John Lloyd CBE

“So I'm reading this thing, which is not personally addressed to me, but my goodness, it said, ‘This is about a human being who is faced with a dilemma, either to go across the sea to do a big and important job, or to stay home and undertake the internal journey’. I didn't really know what that meant at the time, but that was my calling: either go and become conventionally successful in Hollywood or stay home and fix the mess that I was in those days, so that's what I did.” - 22:50 - John Lloyd CBE

“A lot of things that have happened to me that seemed like disasters at the time turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. And nearly all the things I've done have been as a direct result of being sacked by somebody - a girlfriend, a boss, a friend, from some project - which has kick started me into having to do something else. I'm quite lazy, and driven by resentment, so if somebody gives me the sack unfairly, then I get very, very determined.” - 25:50 - John Lloyd CBE

“Just make things you like, because if you don't like it then you can't expect anyone else to. That's what I've done all my life, that one simple thing, and some people have agreed with me that they also like it.” - 34:53 - John Lloyd CBE

“Creativity is like an aquifer under the ground, it's always going to be there and you can't suppress it. If you try and concrete over this bit, it will spring out elsewhere. The leak will always occur.” - 39:50 - John Lloyd CBE

“I think a lot of creative people have got something wrong with them, and what's wrong with me is I don't give up when any sensible person would quit.” - 43:45 - John Lloyd CBE

“One of my favourite words in English is autotelic, which means worth doing for its own sake. So I'm focused on the work I'm trying to do as well as I possibly can and not look over my shoulder.” - 49:35 - John Lloyd CBE

“Nobody ever learned anything from success. You only learn from failure. I'm lucky because it looks like I've been very successful, but actually I've been much more of a failure. It's the things you don't see.” - 55:35 - John Lloyd CBE

“The world is horrible. It's full of wars and disease and darkness. That's true, and it's a perfectly logical position to be angry and depressed about the world. On the other hand, the world's brilliant, conversation is brilliant, food is brilliant, the weather is amazing. Just have a look at a squirrel and tell me whether you care whether we invent artificial intelligence.” - 1:02:40 - John Lloyd CBE

“Don't ever do anything just for the money, it's a complete disaster, you won't be happy that way. Doesn't matter how much money you have, do something you love. And then you may not have a lot of money, but you will be happy.” - 1:05:55 - John Lloyd CBE

“The only talent I really have is I know who's good. I know what I like. And I can see that an actor is a good actor, or if that person really should be considering van driving as a career. Not to disparage van drivers, as I say if you're going to be a van driver be the best van driver. That's the thing.” - 1:16:55 - John Lloyd CBE

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