Embracing vulnerability is crucial for creative perseverance and overcoming setbacks.
Kindness and empathy are foundational to Cord Jefferson's storytelling, fostering meaningful connections and resonant narratives.
Deep dives
Corey Jefferson's Diverse Creative Ventures
Corey Jefferson, a journalist and editor turned director and Emmy award-winning writer, has left an indelible mark across various mediums, from sitcoms like The Good Place to big shows like Succession and Watchmen. His work, spanning different genres, unites ambition as a common thread, always striving to break new ground.
Navigating Failures and Maintaining Openness to Vulnerability
Jefferson candidly shares that behind his successes lie numerous failures that tested his self-esteem. Facing rejection in the industry, he stresses the subjectivity of art and the importance of resilience. Embracing vulnerability is key to creatively persevering through setbacks and external critique.
Overcoming Fear and Pursuing Personal Growth
Despite initial skepticism from societal expectations urging stability, Jefferson embarked on a creative path, grappling with self-doubt and familial pressures. By consistently engaging in activities beyond his comfort zone, such as directing a film, he underscores that true failure lies in stagnation, encouraging continual personal and professional growth.
Nurturing Empathy, Crafting Authenticity in Art
Drawing insights from personal experiences and familial wisdom, Jefferson emphasizes empathy and kindness as integral to his creative process. Through writing that reflects vulnerability and shared humanity, he aims to foster connections and depth in storytelling, embracing the transformative power of personal truths in crafting resonant narratives.
Television writer Cord Jefferson has written for the kind of shows that crack hearts open. From The Good Place to Watchmen, Station Eleven to Master of None, Cord has spent his career wrangling human emotions in the writers’ room – but also in his own life. In this episode, Cord speaks about the connection between his personal life and his creative work, how he thinks about vulnerability in making art and why he thanked his therapist in his acceptance speech for his first Emmy. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
