Meet Perry Janes: Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Perry Janes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Perry, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
The answer to this question changes year by year. This year, I’m inspired by unabashed expressions of imagination; by artists, thinkers, and people who freely and wildly think outside of themselves. I reflect often on how, in our adult lives, we’re told to be practical, to stay grounded, to “stick to what we know.” I’m not saying those aren’t virtues worth considering, but all too often they’re placed in binary opposition to our imaginative lives–as though practicing one sacrifices the other. But isn’t it our ability to imagine that facilitates our ability to change? To envision new futures for ourselves and the world? To practice empathy? Today, I’m inspired by people who assert that not every action or creation needs to be boiled down to its utility; who are vulnerable enough to move outside their own certainties and explore the weird, the wondrous, the unknown and unfamiliar.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a writer, I work in three different disciplines or genres: screenwriting, fiction writing, and poetry. I often get asked whether moving between these different disciplines exhausts me. The truth is, I find it deeply rejuvenating. Screenwriting feeds a very different part of my creative spirit than poetry writing, just as poetry nourishes me differently from fiction writing. When I arrive at a new idea–a story, an image, a character, a line–I try not to force it into a shape. I allow myself to explore its potential and elasticity. Eventually, I will know if the idea is meant to be, say, a television series, where I can explore the ongoing arc of my characters. Or, alternately, a poem, where I can zoom in on a moment or meditation. That process isn’t only freeing; it centers intentionality. By paying close attention to what inspires me, I find its natural shape.

That doesn’t mean the journey has been easy. One consequence of working in multiple disciplines is a slower progression in the field. It’s taken me quite some time to build up my work and my community in each space, in order to sustain a career. Another consequence is a kind of isolation. My love for multiple disciplines has meant I have a compulsory draw back to the desk, to the work itself, in a way that occasionally feels set apart from the more social aspects of an artist’s career–particularly in today’s day and age. Finally, there’s the constant struggle of art versus commerce. As a working screenwriter, reconciling my artistic vision with the mandates and desires of producers and executives has been its own challenge. Whenever I find myself faced with an obstacle, I return to what gives my practice meaning. I call on my friends and community for support. I read or watch work by artists I admire. I reiterate my vision for a particular project, so that I can articulate it to the people I’m working with–and to myself.

Today, I’m most proud to feel myself growing in new directions. Many of my early projects were all iterations of a theme: coming of age stories set in working class (often Midwest) communities. I have this theory: young artists very, very often write their origin story. This is true of poets, novelists, and screenwriters. Working in three different disciplines, perhaps I had to write my origin story three successive times, all in varying shapes, in order to free myself of the story? The work exciting me today is more capacious in theme and tone and subject. I can feel new doors opening inside myself, and I’m eager to explore them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has invariably changed this answer, but imagining a return to some kind of normalcy, I would stack the itinerary with good food and drink. Croissants from La Chouquette. Coffee from Café Vita. Dinner from Chengdu Taste, Manuela, The Village Idiot. Drinks from Birds and Bees. I would set aside an afternoon to hike in Malibu or visit the Huntington Gardens. I would take us to a movie at The Vista. But more than anything, I find that the most interesting and exciting places in Los Angeles are wherever you find an excuse to gather your community. Nothing beats a backyard cookout. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my partner, Tina Wu, whose love, playfulness, and support has sustained me not only through the turbulence of my life as an artist, but the difficulties of this past year.

Extra shoutout to my artist friends, growing and learning alongside me, whose voices keep me intentional–always. You know who you are.

Website: https://perryjanes.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perry.janes/?hl=en

Image Credits
Imagine Impact Content Accelerator Device Creative Signal Return Reading Series Tom Janes & Eleanor Payson