Soul Points: The Economy of Creativity
Mark Duplass on balancing the creativity checkbook
I am a big fan of Mumblecore movies. For those who don't know what Mumblecore is about, it's not about much, and that's the point. They're low-budget independent films with “an emphasis on dialogue over plot and a focus on the personal relationships of young adults," according to Wikipedia.
The Puffy Chair is a prime example of a Mumblecore film. The movie follows a group of 20-somethings who travel across state lines to pick up a Craigslist recliner that reminds them of their fathers’. My Dinner with Andre, the movie that follows a meandering conversation over a single dinner, had a significant influence on the genre. And of course, there’s Greta Gerwig’s Frances Ha, a movie following a young artist reconciling her dreams with harsh reality that she may not make it big in acting.
It's the imperfect characters in these films that pull me in. They’re not heroes, but they’re not villains. They’re average people going through some run-of-the-mill but also sloppy stuff of life. You either grow with the characters or get frustrated if they don't learn from their journey.
Writing any story takes creativity. But basing an entire film on conversations that drive a mundane plot takes a lot of creative energy.
Mark and Jay Duplass, AKA the Duplass Brothers, are titans of the Mumblecore genre. Their rise to fame is a unique case study in how to grow a creative business while staying true to yourself. In 2005, the brothers from New Orleans took their first film, The Puffy Chair (which cost $15,000 they borrowed from their parents), to Sundance Film Festival and ended up selling the distributing rights to a new DVD-by-mail company called Netflix. At the time, partnering with Netflix was a huge risk, but it paid off. As Netflix grew, so did the Duplass Brothers. A decade later, they signed a four-picture deal with Netflix, a seven-picture deal with The Orchard, and a two-year deal with HBO where they created the tv show Room 104, an anthology series of everything and anything that can happen in a motel room.
A few years ago, Mark Duplass was on an episode of Pete Holmes’ podcast You Made It Weird. On the show, he introduced a concept that changed the way I thought about creativity: Soul Points.
What are Soul Points?
Soul Points is Duplass’ system of measuring his creative reserves. He describes it as not just the “Soul Points” he spends on projects but also the “soul points” those projects give back. “I have this term Soul Points that I use,” says Duplass. “You only have so many of these — try and hang on and don't give out too many of them unless they're being replenished.” It’s an Economies of Scale situation, but with gratification.
Here’s an example of how Mark Duplass uses Soul Points:
When discussing Togetherness, a heartfelt show about divorce that was unceremoniously cancelled by HBO to make way for Divorce starring Sarah Jessica Parker (HBO said they couldn’t have two shows about divorce), Duplass had this to say about Soul Points: “I spent a lot of soul points […]. It was hard to make. I got a lot out of it. But I feel like I spent more than I got in the ratio.”
By comparison, his next show, Room 104, also on HBO, was good for Duplass’ Soul Points reservoir. “[On Togetherness] I was giving 60 soul points per season, I was only getting 40 back, and for Room 104, oddly enough, I’m only giving 10, but I’m getting 30 back. I’m getting less back for Room 104 empirically than I got on Togetherness, but my ratio is way way up. I am in soul profits!”
For the rest of the podcast, Duplass and Holmes discussed the many ways they keep their Soul Points profit in the green. Aside from soul rewarding artistic endeavors, they replenish their Soul Points by playing music, spending time with their families and friends, and having daily sessions in their at-home saunas.
A Soul Point Conversion
My mind was blown when I heard this. Because up until that point, I thought of creativity as a well you need to dig deep in to — not a pool that you can easily dip in to as long as it’s replenished.
The idea that creativity is a relationship that can be cultivated and nurtured through engaging experiences freed me from the pressure I was putting on myself to produce more work. Before learning about Soul Points I felt guilty about any time I spent at the gym, at the bar with friends, or in the park reading comics. In my mind, there was work to be done and any time not grinding away at pitching to editors or writing on deadline was frivolous.
Freed from the self-imposed demands on my creative spirit, I began embracing the idea that it’s just as important to step away from work as it is to do the work. It’s like when you’re writing a story, struggling to string two sentences together. Then you take a shower and as soon as the water hits your skin all of these ideas flood your mind faster than you can dry off and grab a pen and paper. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, “the shower effect on creativity is the product of mind-wandering, where your thoughts are anywhere but on the task at hand.”
So stepping away and not thinking about the work isn’t just part of the process, it’s necessary to the process. This is especially true for creatives whose whole work is rooted in adventurous curiosity. “Novelty-seeking is one of the traits that keeps you healthy and happy and fosters personality growth as you age,” says C. Robert Cloninger, a psychiatrist interviewed for a 2012 New York Times story about the impact of novelty on well-being.
How to Make, Use & Spend Soul Points?
That’s a loaded question! Soul Points, though measurable, are quantified on a project by project basis and vary from person to person. But that’s kind of what Side Quests is about. Side Quests are the creative endeavors, the mindless meanderings, and the frivolous fruits of our labor that help us keep our Soul Points balanced.
As this Soul Points-driven project progresses, I will be sharing the stories and experiences that are feeding my soul in hopes that it’ll inspire you to do the same. I’ll also be inviting this community to the conversation!
Every month, I’ll be publishing an interview with a Side Quester of the Month where people from this community what’s helping them refill their creative pools.
Next week Philadelphia’s own Neil Bardhan, Director of Applied Storytelling at First Person Arts and Executive Director of Broad Street Review, tells us about the Side Quests he takes out in nature.
If you want to share your Side Quests as a Side Quester of the Month, reach out!
Until then, what Side Quests replenish your Soul Points? Share your thoughts in the comments!
References in this newsletter:
Videos
The Puffy Chair: Movie Trailer
My Dinner with Andre: Movie Trailer
Frances Ha: Movie Trailer
Room 104: Season 1 Trailer
Podcast
Mark Duplass: You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes podcast
Articles