Meet Thomas Schlesinger | Story Consultant and Screenwriter

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

Hi Thomas, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I’ve learned about balance from teachers like Steven Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) Jeff Olson (The Slight Edge), Lee Holden (Qigong teacher), and especially through the UA 12 Step Program.

The main shift in my screenwriting and story consulting is about letting go of being “end-goal oriented.” That is, learning how to be the tortoise and not the hare. Being present in the moment rather than fearing what the future might bring.

This means having a daily practice of Qigong, meditation, inspirational readings, and prayer, and especially taking time for self-care and having quality time with friends.

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.
I am a screenwriter and story coach.. My specialty is developing stories that are both entertaining and have a positive social impact (sometimes called “social impact entertainment”). What sets me apart from others is that 1) I create formal or informal “writer’s rooms” in every project; I honor that the creative journey parallels the emotional journey of your characters and, ultimately, your audience; and I am always in beginners minds, having studied under Joseph Campbell, Jean Houston, and Maureen Murdock.

I’m most proud of my process: finding the archetypal roots from the source material, then using the Hero’s Journey and Heroine’s Journey for the creative process and created product. This was realized in projects like the oscar-winning “Nowhere in Africa” and the HBO documentary “Prom Night in Mississippi” with Morgan Freeman.

To get to where I am today? It was never easy, but it was always simple: going through the trials and tribulations in the media industry with a “beginners mind,” learning from failure, and getting down on my knees to pray and then meditate every morning.

The main lessons that I learned are summed up in Don Miguel Ruiz’s “Four Agreements: to be impeccable with my word; Not to take anything personally; not to make any assumptions; and to always do my best. Or to paraphrase Shakespeare: To my own Spiritual Self, be true.

I believe we are all Story Voyagers. In addition to our screenplays and films, we are here on the planet to combine our visions and imagine the world we want and need to live in — it is our “Call to Adventure” to imagine, visualize and manifest a world that is kind, compassionate, loving, abundant and fair — and that’s what we do everyday when we create and launch stories together.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve traveled over a million miles in my storytelling work, and now I’m completely happy and satisfied to take road trips around California and the West Coast. Our first stop would be to have coffee or a meal by the beach and take a long walk. My favorite place to go to the beach is north and south of the Santa Monica Pier. On other days, we will take hikes on the Las Liones, Mandaville Canyon, and Solstice Canyon paths. I love to cook but going to dinner at R&D Kitchen on Montana Ave in Santa Monica is a favorite.

Time permitting, we would take a ride up the coast to Santa Barbara and Big Sur.

We definitely would go downtown and tour the art galleries and the Broad Museum. And we’d see performances at places like The Ahmanson, Mark Taper Forum, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to the amazing Maureen Murdock and her seminal book, “The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness.

Website: www.tomschlesinger.com

Instagram: tom_schlesinger

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/studentstorytellers/

Twitter: @tom_schlesinger

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storytellersacademy

Other: https://vimeo.com/254859246/3e3c01c59e

Image Credits
Portrait: Hugh Kretschmer