Max Stossel

Max Stossel is an Award winning poet, filmmaker and speaker.

Curator’s note: This is something a little bit different for Creatiview as we talk to Max Stossel, who happened to be named by Forbes as one of the best stroytellers of the year. Now, Max may well be all the things listed above but as we go on to find out, these labels could just as easily be boiled down to one: ‘artist’. Which is spot on, the way in which Max weaves words to covey powerful stories is true artistry. What’s more, Max often relays these messages through compelling films, such as the ‘The Panda Is Dancing’ which is how I first came across his work a few years ago and which you can enjoy below. I’ve been bowled over by Max’s stuff ever since and if you’re coming across him for the first time, then congratulations, you’re in for a treat…

It goes without saying that you of course have a very poetic and articulate outlook on the world. When was it that you began to express yourself in this way and then, realise you could do it full-time?

I heard a poet named In-Q perform, and it touched something deep in me. The words kept ringing around in my head and I didn't know why, something new was happening in my body. I pulled out the notes app on my phone on the way home and started writing to try and figure out what was going on. "I sit and ponder the beauty of slam poetry, wonder the reason it so flows with me" and then thought to myself "oh shit that rhymes! I can do this..." and proceeded to write my first poem (since childhood).

When the first film I made went viral I started to think it could become more related to my career, I'm also of the mindset that it's really nice to have income streams that are not our art. It takes some of the pressure off for the art to make us money. The art doesn't care if it makes us money.

A label you’re associated with is ‘poet and filmmaker’. Would you say this sums you up nicely and furthermore, does either come first for you?

Artist is the label that most resonates with me. There is an essence of something beautiful that feels beyond me. Sometimes I can (almost) put that essence into words in a way that when I'm standing in front of you, feels like it truly lands or transmits the way it wants to. I love that so much and it's the reason I put so much time and energy into each film. Because cameras pick up the words I’m saying and the movements I’m making but they don’t pick up that essence, that soul that transmits in person. 

I don’t just want to share these words with you. When I write them down on a page they are so different, when I speak them into a camera alone they’re different, they’re not “IT”. These words, these lights and sounds, they are the vehicle, not the cargo. I want you to have the cargo. What feels to me like the most PRECIOUS cargo. I want you to have these morsels of Truth that come from the higher place. The films are an effort to honour that. Honestly, the film process is soooo stressful for me. Every single decision I'm wondering "Is IT coming through? Are we doing this in a way where that intangible centre will deliver through a screen?!" And that is much more difficult than I think most people realize. The other label that resonates for me is "Delivery-man".

A poem born out of Max’s struggle to answer the question "Hi What do you do?!"

Did you always dream of doing what you do now? Would you be able to give some insight into the road that lead you to this point? What did you see yourself doing growing up?

The dots make a whole lot more sense looking back than looking forward. My love of word games as a kid and that I was always more interested in conversation than partying feel more like indicators of where I was headed than any specific job. When I grew up I wanted to be a soccer player, and then I had absolutely no idea all the way through college and for years afterwards. I felt like I was supposed to know and I didn't. I'd like for there to be more cultural support for just trying stuff without it needing to be one's whole career. 

What inspires and drives you to do what you do? What do you garner most satisfaction from in your work?

Performing in an environment where I can feel the message land gives me the most satisfaction. Feeling like I have successfully delivered a poem I love means a lot to me. 

There is of course a lot of overlap between storytelling and other creative forms of expression, like film-making, the printed word or even song writing for example. What’s your relationship with these mediums? How powerful are they as a vessel to relay a narrative? 

I've more recently been doing songwriting sessions with musical artists and I love it. Eager to do more. Axel Mansoor and I write every Friday and its one of my favorite things, Emily Brimlow and I have had a couple sessions as well and Yuppycult is a good friend and collaborator who helped me learn by letting me sit in on a bunch of his sessions. I'm always impressed with artists like Hozier who can tell such powerful stories in their songs. That vehicle requires being incredibly succinct and is a skill I'm continuing to hone. Also it's such a feel-based medium. Sometimes you have to make a choice between a line that sings better and the one that says more of what you mean. In poetry I'll almost always choose the one that says what I mean, in songwriting I'll often lean the other way. 

A poetic short film by Max Stossel & Sander van Dijk.

I mentioned previously that I came across your ‘This Panda Is Dancing - Time Well Spent’ film when it was released a few years ago now. It blew me away. Could you talk us through a little bit of the process for a project such as this?

Yea that one would have been several hundred thousand dollars if it wasn't a passion project. So grateful to have had so many people who dedicated their time, passion and energy to that piece. Sander van Dijk is a freaking genius and did most of those effects himself. The plan wasn't to have so many effects, but after shooting it we realized it wasn't clear the people walking past me were looking at their phones (cause that's just how people walk now... sigh). It was the first one I worked with a production company on, Yacht Club Films who have been generous supporters of my work donating their time and equipment on multiple occasions since. That was a large production and Sander and those guys came up huge.

For writers who want to turn their work into short films I made this twitter thread in an effort to be helpful. For me the poem comes first, then find the collaborators and create a vision together. Often times finding one collaborator will illuminate that you need more. Once I had created a few pieces people loved, then people were more eager to collaborate and finding partners became easier.

As with this and your other films, there’s naturally a number of collaborators. What’s it like working with these other professionals who specialise in multiple disciplines, from Directors to Actors to VFX artists, the teams on these projects can quickly snowball! 

It's really true that in terms of good, fast, and cheap, you can only have two of the three. Each of my projects took a long time, sometimes a year+ because they were passion projects and I didn't have a real budget. In the beginning I would find talented people I wanted to work with and then cold call them and ask if I could recite a poem for them. For Subway Love I lied to get Matthew Freidell's assistant to get him on the phone and just blurted it out... 😬 I ended up reciting that poem to the incredible choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall while in an Uber, and I asked a bartender to turn off the music in a bar to perform it for Rachel Berman (the lead dancer/actress). I knew so little about what it would take to make a film... lucked out that Matt happened to be a jack of all traits and could shoot, edit, direct, do FX... and the universe just seemed to be conspiring in that poem/video's favour in the way it all came together. I chose Matt because he has a talent for storytelling, for creating visuals that enhance the message and don't distract from it. Sander Van Dijk has that gift too. Both insanely talented and was such a gift to work with them. 

Writing is one thing but then performing live, in front of people is quite another. Did it take long for you to become comfortable with this or has it always come relatively naturally? 

I've always been relatively comfortable public speaking, and also always growing as a performer. The first time I saw a professional actor, Matthew Morrison, perform one of my poems I saw how much there is to learn about stage performance. Excited to keep learning.

On the subject of live performance, we almost have to touch upon the pandemic. How has the Coronavirus impacted you? What have you been up to this year?

I've done some Zoom performances where I coordinate the Zoom backgrounds to my work and that's been interesting, and I'm doing my first outdoor shows in NY this weekend, looking forward to that as I've missed it. But I've been songwriting! And the big one, working on turning my entire show into an hour-long digital special (filming in an empty theatre end of October). It will be a combination of me on stage and the video work. I hope with all my heart to do the show justice as it enters the digital world.  

I always like to wrap up with these final few questions. I personally always think our failings and how we learn from them shape our future work. Did you ever have any doubts? Was there a notable tough moment and if so, how did you learn from it? 

I have doubts constantly. There are a few brief moments where I don't have doubts but I'm working on that! I wasn't ever sure that being an artist would really be a career for me until it was. I think that was a helpful mindset. I'm a big fan of to taking the pressure off of our art and letting it be what it wants to be. It is more confusing now that this work is tied up in my identity. Before it was just play, and now the work is to return to that. 

Finally, what's your aim for the future?

I am very excited to put out this hour long special of Words That Move! That's where most of my focus is right now. After that, more songwriting, a 2nd hour-long stage show, a book perhaps... but it feels like having this first special out in the world will free up the creative space to move on to what's next. 

You can find out more about Max and his work over at his website: wordsthatmove.com or follow him on Instagram for poetically crafted phrases straight from Apple Notes. Also, be sure to look out for his upcoming hour long special of Words That Move which sounds like something not to be missed!