Hannah Leikin shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Hannah, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
When I think about it, I’m most proud of the fantasy book I’ve been writing for the past five years. I have been meticulously building a world, equipped with a carefully crafted mythology that gives way to ancillary cultures and religions. A myriad of characters that have fully fleshed out personalities, secret desires, and intricate back stories that weave together for hundreds of pages. This book is a labor of love, but I also do it to keep my creativity alive. I pour into it every time I have an overflow of artistic energy, and it is the perfect receptacle.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Hannah Leikin. I’m a director, producer, and writer who specializes in stills, videos, and podcasts. My background and foundation are in producing, and I believe that gives me a practical approach to my creative work, when necessary. I can distill an idea to the bare bones and figure out how to make it happen with a skeleton crew and minimal key details. My collaborators have told me that my creative ideas are out of the box and therefore inherently risky because I tend to veer away from trends and instead am inspired by an eclectic collection of things. I don’t see my ideas as risky because they crystallize so clearly in my mind, but I think that all lends itself to my specific style and directorial voice. Currently, I’m in pre-production for a music video I am directing that I am really excited about and can’t wait to share!
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Not to be cliche, but perfectionism is the very first thing that came to mind when I thought about this question. When I was younger, the quest for perfection felt imperative and helpful. It was something to strive for, and in the very least, “quite good” was somewhere along the way. Early in my life, perfectionism encouraged me to have high standards for myself and to try my best. What could be wrong with that?
Unfortunately for me, and I think a lot of other people, the quest became a futile and exhausting endeavor that led to panic, decision paralysis, and a tyrannical inner critic. What was once helpful and aspirational became oppressive and depressing, literally stifling my inner creativity because when unchecked, perfectionism can fester into a fear of failure that is so potent, you end up not creating at all.
I think that it is essential to push past this. Something I found incredibly helpful and often come back to is Ira Glass’s explanation of “the gap.” He said that “All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work…It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.”
Striving to create a high volume of work means learning to let go of perfectionism (a constant practice), and on the bright side, it gives you a chance to grow and improve. This shift makes you able to accept challenges and run towards them, allowing yourself to evolve and make mistakes along the way. As they say, “better is the enemy of good,” and according to a very wise person I once had the privilege of working with, “perfect is the enemy of done.” There comes a point when you just need to finish the project and move on, trusting that the next one will further your goal of “closing the gap.”
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self that she’s on the right path. Exploring who you actually are is far more important than performing who you think you should be. Expectations that are forced upon you are not the creeds you are obligated to live by! Allow yourself the space to be who you are, and things will naturally grow in the right direction because you have created authentic conditions for them to do so.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I am committed to writing my fantasy novel, no matter how long it takes. I will continue crafting the story and building the world with the hope that it will eventually find an audience, and a communal discussion will flourish surrounding it. My wish is for people to have hot-takes, romantic pairings that they “ship,” and head canon theories. Fingers crossed that someone will write fan fiction based on my characters! My dream is for the story to become a visual project that I am able to direct.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
For a long time, I aspired to be a traditional producer by the age of 25. As such, I devoted the majority of my college course load, internships, and early career to learning anything I could about producing. When I finally achieved my goal, I was incredibly proud of myself, but I also realized that I wanted to be in a more creative role. Today, having a producing background is something I cherish and take with me into every project I direct.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Hannahleikin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leikin_it/
Image Credits
Image 1 Photographer: Sean Michon
Image 2 Photographer: Sean Michon
Image 3 Photographer: Sean Michon
Image 4 Photographer: Sean Michon
Image 5 Photographer: Sean Michon
Image 6 Photographer: Sean Michon
Image 7 Photographer: Sean Michon
