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- [00:00]
A
Hi everyone, I'm Kai Dickens and welcome back to the Talk Tracks. Today we have an incredible story about a creative download, or some would say big Magic. If you haven't listened to season two, episode three about the consciousness of creativity and how ideas choose us, I really encourage you to start there. But today you're going to meet Pilar Flynn, a producer and now a director in the animation space and hear one of the most remarkable big magic, creativity choosing us stories I've heard in a long time. So, Pilar, welcome to the Talk Tracks. Hi everyone, I'm Kai Dickens and welcome to the Talk Tracks. Brought to you weekly from TTT Media. In this series, we explore the threads that weave together our understanding of reality, science, spirituality, consciousness, and yes, even unexplained phenomena like psi abilities. We examine the mysteries that sit just beyond the edge of what science can currently explain alongside researchers, thinkers, families and experiencers. If you haven't yet listened to the Telepathy Tapes, I encourage you to start there. It lays the foundation for everything that we'll be exploring because every era has ideas once dismissed as impossible until someone was willing to investigate them seriously. And on this show, we do just that. If you want to see our incredible guests in person, we have a video version of this episode on the Telepathy Tapes YouTube page. Your home is more than just furniture. It's an extension of who you are. Even small details like a rug can completely change how a space feels. And that's why I love Ruggable. I recently added one of their Persian rugs in our living room. It's a beautiful kind of worn pastel pink that softens and totally pulls together the space. And there were so many styles to choose from, from boho and modern and vintage. And you can filter by size, by color, by material, by designer. And what I love is that they aren't just beautiful and soft, but they're stain resistant for everyday spills and machine washable, making them so easy to clean. And it's especially awesome for our life because we have two young kids, two dogs and two cats. The built in nonstick backing makes sure that even when everyone is running around, there's no slipping. They really are design led and performance built. Refresh your home@Ruggable.com. get 10% off your first order sitewide with promo code tapes@Ruggable.com that's R U G-G-A-B-L-E.com and use code tapes at checkout. So if you're looking to refresh your space I really recommend checking them out. Do you want to look and feel your best this summer? Don't just think skin deep, think cell deep. Prolon five day Fasting Mimicking diet kickstarts your body's natural ability to renew and rejuvenate from within. I'm well versed in the health benefits of fasting, but I've never been able to get through more than a day of a water fast or juice cleanse without feeling completely on edge or disoriented or hangry.
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But.
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A
But what I personally love about Prolon is that it gives my body enough nutrients to still feel balanced and functional while getting the benefits associated with fasting. For me, that makes it way more effective because I can actually stay with it and can complete a five day fast without feeling wrecked by the end. Prolon is a plant based nutrition program featuring soups, snacks and beverages designed to nourish the body while keeping it in a fasting state and backed by top US medical centers, Prolon is clinically shown to stimulate the body's own process of cellular cleanup to help you reset metabolism, protect lean muscle mass and more. No matter the season, when I'm craving a real reset, Prolon is the nutrition program that works for me. It's convenient, backed by Nobel winning science and it works. Ready for your own reset? For a limited time, Prolon is offering Telepathy Tapes listeners 15% off site wide plus a $40 bonus gift. When you subscribe to their five day program, just visit prolonlife.com tapes that's P-R-O-L-O-N-L-I-F-E.com tapes to claim your 15% discount and your bonus gift. Prolonlife.com tapes we're so excited to have you today.
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C
I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
- [04:01]
A
Of course. And one of the reasons I wanted you to come in here is you have quite a big magic story, I think. And when I say the term big magic, people who listen to season two remember that that was a book written by a very famous, prolific American writer, Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote Eat Pray Love and she really love her, she's wonderful. And you know this idea that creativity comes to us, chooses with us, engages with us, especially if we're working and ready and a willing recipient. But why don't we start by you just introducing yourself. Who are you? What do you do?
- [04:35]
C
Well, my name is Pilad Flynn and I've been in the animation industry for over two decades. I'm originally from South America from Chile and Ecuador. So I grew up mostly in countries in South America and some of Europe. And I guess the reason I'm here in LA to begin with is because at 5 years old, I went to the theater for the first time to see my first movie. And in that moment, when I looked around at the audience and saw how connected everyone was, how they were all feeling the same emotions, I knew from that second that what I wanted to do is come to LA and tell stories. And from that day, I would just tell my family, I'm going to grow up and move to Hollywood and I'm going to make movies. And of being a little girl that only spoke Spanish, living in Latin America, they were like, okay, mijita, good luck with that. You know, great dream. But I was so determined. There was just something in me that knew, you know, I just didn't question it. And lo and behold, everything in my life ended up almost magically lining up so that I ended up coming to the States, going there for college, meeting my now husband in college, and I actually landed in animation, which is something I never quite expected because I didn't think animation was the thing you could actually do, but realized that animation was the perfect way for me to tell stories because it had the greatest impact. Reaching children and making a change and just to make people feel like they were watching something profound, meaningful and connective was something that, yeah, meant so much to me.
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A
Love it. So what have you been up to recently? Like, if you were to fast forward to the past few years, where has your career taken you?
- [06:13]
C
Yeah, so I've gone all over the map to almost every studio in animation, from big studios to small studio. But the most recent was my stint at Disney. I was there for nine years, and I worked on two of the shows that meant the most to me. My family, my kids, which were Elena of Avalor, which was Disney's first ever Latina princess in a TV series, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which was, of course, Marvel's first ever black teen girl superhero. And her best friend was a Latina. And so for me to see myself represented on screen like that and for my girls to grow up seeing that meant everything. It was a true work of heart.
- [06:51]
A
Yeah, beautiful. Okay, so why don't you talk about or introduce us to Isabel for those people who don't know her and how she was significant to you growing up? Maybe who she is, what she's known for, especially in Latin America, and. Yeah, take us on that journey.
- [07:07]
C
Yeah. Isabel Allende is pretty much literary royalty. To the Spanish language world. She is incredible. She's a feminist, a journalist. She has written books that have sold over 80 million copies around the world in over 42 different languages. She was part of, you know, when Chile, Latin America, was going through a lot of political upheaval in the 70s, she was a beacon of hope for a lot of people, and especially women. And her books have always been about strong, powerful women and people and the supernatural and magical realism. She's actually one of the creators of magical realism. And throughout her life, she's told stories about herself personally, but also about people, you know, either in Latin America or different countries. And she even won the Presidential Medal of Honor that Barack Obama gave her. So, yeah, she is literally, yeah, the queen. And growing up in Latin America, as most kids will tell you, she was taught in schools, and House of the Spirits is one of the most famous of her works. But she's got so many novels, and to this day, she just turned, I think, 81, 82, and she just put out two more books, you know, in these last kind of. In this last year and a half. So she's incredibly prolific and has not slowed down despite her age, which is such an inspiration.
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A
Magical realism. That's what you said she's known for, correct? So can you talk about that? I mean, she's one of the most prolific writers in the world. She's beloved. What is magical realism, and how do you understand that? Isabel engages with the world? Like, what is her philosophy?
- [08:46]
C
Just to let everybody know that real Garcia Marquez was also the founder of magical realism. And so they both kind of were the founders of this beautiful literary term, which basically means that their stories and their characters live in a very grounded world with very grounded chapters and stories, but the supernatural and magic just happens all around them naturally, so nobody questions it. It's just there. So say we're sitting here and a ghost might join us and sit next to me, and I might just nod to them and keep going. Or, you know, some of the characters have magical powers that just are. And so I find that so beautiful, because, honestly, I think that does exist. And to them, they just bring something that people question to the forefront. And especially in Latin American culture, I think a lot more than culture here, we just accept the supernatural as part of everyday life. I remember growing up, my nana, I used to call her my nanny. She'd be tucking me into bed, and whenever she'd hear an owl hoot, she'd go, oh, well, that means someone's dying tonight. Well, good night, mijita. You know, and it was just like, just something you just kind of said and just was. And you lived with. So. Yeah, a lot of her novels feature that. And like I say, House of the Spirits is the most famous that was known for that. That included ghosts and magical powers and premonitions. And I've always found that so fascinating and beautiful because, yeah, I believe in all those things.
- [10:16]
A
Yeah, I love that. What a different perspective and liberating as well. And it seems, and tell me if I'm wrong, but I think the way that Liz Gilbert plays with creativity and sees the world as this non physical thing engaging with us, making its own creativity, making its own own will manifest through us, seems almost like. Almost identical to how Isabella goes through the world. Would you agree with that?
- [10:40]
C
Yes, I think so. Because I know she said she sits down and the story comes to her and she feels like a vessel for this story. So a story that's kind of waiting in line or ready to be told, she's kind of there, ready with her pen and paper and here it comes and she allows it to just roll through her, you know, as it wishes to kind of live.
- [11:01]
A
Yes. And now your. It's just so amazing. Your life has now intersected with her in an amazing way around an amazing
- [11:09]
C
short story which is so crazy. And I, to this day I have to pinch myself, I can't even believe because growing up and seeing her such a. An inspiration and light for me to be crossing over in any way with her, especially in this way, has been such an honor. I can't even begin to tell you
- [11:23]
A
so what happened because I just think the story is so beautiful and just shows that anything can happen.
- [11:28]
C
Yes. And kind of like you say, definitely was not expected. Never thought I'd be sitting here, you know, talking about this or this having come to me. So the way it started was I just finished Elena of Avalor and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur at Disney. And like I was saying to you, those two shows meant so much to me. And even though the stories we were telling, the characters were something that I truly held close to my heart, they weren't stories that I had created. And when they were over, I just had the sense of, well, now what I'm like, I've put those, helped put those out into the world and now there's something still left in me that I just felt like was dying to come out and I didn't know what. So I'd finished the shows and the longer I thought about it, the more I started getting this feeling inside me that felt like I was vibrating on a cellular level, and I couldn't shake it. It was almost like something was shaking me from the inside out, telling me to pay attention. And I was like, what? What is it? Like, what. What is this thing? Funny, because it was almost like this weird internal itch, you know, Even though, you know, it didn't hurt in any way. It was just kind of like. Just really, like, sitting with me. And I finally decided to just put it out in the world because I was like, what is this feeling? Why can't I shake it? What am I supposed to be paying attention to? But I also put it out to my family, my friends. I told my husband, I told all my girlfriends, you know, who I have a group of amazing girlfriends that are so supportive and that I tell everything to. And I just said, there's something in me, and I don't know what it is. And I feel like I need to be centered to figure it out, Help me. Like, what am I supposed to do? And after I put that call out, one magical girlfriend, my friend Amanda really heard me, and she called one day, and she said, I've been thinking about what you said, and I think I have a solution. And I was like, what? What is it? And she. She lives in Northern California near the redwoods. And she said, why don't you and some of our friends come up? Stay with me. I know this awesome little area that has cabins in the middle of the redwoods. Why don't we just have a weekend, you know, get away from the kids, jobs, the city, and just sit and be together in nature? And when she said that to me, just something in me lit up, and I was like, yes. Yeah, that's. That's exactly what I need. So even though it was this crazy time of year, dropped, everything went up there, and it was five of us. And the second I got there, I just started feeling centered. It was almost like all of my cells and whatever was shaking inside me started aligning. And we got to the cabin area, and Amanda let us in, and it was so beautiful. It was just these little rustic cabins in the middle of the woods, like, nothing around. And we settled in, and I'm looking at these giant, beautiful, ancient trees. And so, of course, we start unpacking everything. And then Amanda comes over to us, and she's like, pilar, I have another surprise for you. She said, I've set up the front porch so that we can have a really deep meditation, and so we can just take the afternoon to Meditate and be together and commune with the energy of the trees.
- [14:29]
A
And I was like, who is this friend? This friend is amazing.
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C
She is amazing. And. And of course my first thought was like, okay, this sounds kind of woo. Like, what are you talking about? What do you mean? We're going to sit and meditate and commune with the tree? But then another part of me, not my brain, my. My spirit, my heart was like, yes, that's. That sounds amazing. Let's do that.
- [14:48]
A
So, okay, so this isn't something you normally do with her is like, go into the trees and medit.
- [14:52]
C
These are all people that are kind of in animation. We're professionals, you know, we love spiritual stuff and talking about it, but never something this intentional. And I guess that's what was the difference is she was like, I heard you. I'm gonna help you. I'm going to set something up intentional for you to talk within yourself. So it wasn't like it was anything this big or magical. And that's what was so beautiful about it was so normal in a way. But her speaking those words and saying, we're intentionally going to sit. You're surrounded by people you love. You're away from all the noise. You are communing with these trees in nature. By her intentionally saying that to me, it kind of just realigned me from the inside out. It was incredible. So cool. So we all sat there and we just sat together and at first we started talking and we drank our tea and we had crystals and sage and everything. And then we just kind of had a moment of silent meditation. And it was so silent and beautiful. And all of a sudden as I was sitting there and for a lot of. A lot of my girlfriends, things were coming up, you know, especially because we felt safe, you know, and vulnerable. And in the silence and in closing my eyes, I suddenly started hearing this inner voice. And it was kind of an outer voice, but by inner and outer, it was kind of one and the same. And it was almost like the trees were starting to speak to me telepathically. And maybe they were always there trying to talk, but I was finally intentionally listening. And so as I sat there, I started getting some downloads. And it was mostly about my family or why I was there, or the stresses of work. And so I'm listening and I'm going deeper and deeper. And then I decided to just go in as intuitively as possible and just open my mind's eye. And I thought, okay, I'm going to surrender. I'm ready. Okay, what is it? I need to hear foreign.
- [16:50]
A
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- [21:05]
C
And then the most amazing thing happened. My friend Melinda, who had decided to go to the backyard to meditate because she felt like she wanted to kind of be on her own forbidden nature. She comes out and she says, pilar. She goes, I was just in the backyard and I think the trees back there have a message for you. And the craziest thing was normally, you know, my mind again, my mind was like, what is she talking about? But somehow I heard myself say to her, I know. And she just kind of nodded. And I got up And I walked past and I went to the backyard, and I see this beautiful. You know, I say beautiful, but it was actually just this, like, plastic lawn chair. But in the moment, you know, everything looks so beautiful. So this plastic lawn chair that you recline on was just sitting in the middle of these trees. So I go and I lay down on them, and I look up, and I suddenly realize that right above me is this circle of giant, ancient redwoods just looking down on me. And it almost looked like ancient ancestral kind of, you know, grandparents, I want to say abuelos, you know, looking down, and right in the center above them was this beautiful kind of space where you could see the stars. The stars were starting to come out. Wow. So I was laying there looking at them, and I was just marveling at the beauty. So I took it in for a while, and then finally, again, I kind of surrendered, and I said, okay, I'm here. I'm intentionally here. What is it? What is it I'm supposed to know? What is it I'm supposed to be doing? Because I knew it was something that I was meant to do. And all of a sudden, I heard back, you know, what you're supposed to be doing. And I was like, whoa. What? I was like, what? What was that? And it was crystal clear. And I heard it in my mind almost telepathically, but it wasn't like a thought. It was a voice. And the best way to describe the voice was it was almost a mixture of what felt like ancestors and guides and the trees. It was all like, one and the same, but it was crystal clear. And I said, well, what? What do you mean? And they said, think about it. And I thought, okay. I'm like, what are they trying to say? And I said, okay, I know the feeling of what I'm supposed to be doing. I definitely know I'm supposed to be doing something. And they said, no. You know, and so I just took a step back, I guess, you know, laying there, and all of a sudden, it was almost like a Beautiful Mind moment where all these weird puzzle pieces started coming together. And what I heard was, you know, you're supposed to take all the knowledge that you've spent all this time acquiring, all the people that you've connected with. You're meant to put together an animated short film with a story by Isabel Allende, and you're meant to put together a team of incredible Latino creators, and you're meant to, by the way, put an Oscar campaign together and create an incredible film. And I was like, what? And it was just, like, such a clear, oddly specific download that I was kind of in shock, but at the same time, it made perfect sense, which was equally shocking. And then I heard myself saying, I know, but I'm so scared. And then they said to me, okay, you have fears. What are they? And so all of a sudden, I started launching in on, I'm afraid of people laughing at me for wanting to be a director. I'm afraid of, what if it's not good? What if Isabel doesn't give me the rights to one of her stories? What if I can't get funding? What if it sucks? What if, you know, And I'm just like, what if. What if. What if my family is mad at me for doing this? And I just started kind of vomiting up all these fears? And then when they were all out of me, I looked back up at them, and I could just feel them look at. Looking down at me with amusement almost. And they were like, okay, those are your fears. So what? And in that moment, it was almost hysterical, because in the next millisecond, I got this incredible download, realizing how much my ancestors had gone through, how much my family had gone through, how much I had gone through in this life, to go through all these obstacles, all these challenges for me to be sitting in this lawn chair talking about this film I wanted to make and realizing that it was achievable, that I could do it. And the only thing that was stopping me was all these ridiculous fears, because now they seem so small compared to what all these incredible ancestors have gone through. And I suddenly realized, oh, my God, you're right. So what? And in that moment, actually, I realized I had tears running down my cheeks because it was such a beautiful, like, aha moment. And, you know, I lay there for a little longer, kind of communing, you know, with them and speaking to them, because it was just such an incredible connection.
- [26:05]
A
You were, like, sober. Like, you weren't on any type of psychedelic or anything.
- [26:09]
C
No, we'd gone through this kind of just deep meditation and tea, and it was more. I just felt so connected to myself, to nature, to my girlfriends, that that was a really important part of it. I realized it was almost like a little coven we'd created right there of. Of safety and vul. So, yeah, it was just so wildly incredible and shocking that this had just happened that I almost couldn't believe it. And honestly, to this day, I don't know if I would believe it. It wasn't for my four girlfriends being there and hearing all this. The Second after it happened, and now them seeing how everything has come together after that. So after I had gotten up, you know, wiped my tears, went back down, the first thing I did was I went to my bedroom, I grabbed my phone, and because what had happened was in the vision and in the puzzle pieces that had come, I had literally seen everybody that was meant to be a part of this. And so the first thing I did was I reached out to the first person I saw in my vision, which was a writing partner that I'd had, Rafael Agustin. We had worked on one thing together, but he was extremely busy. We'd never, like, really professionally collaborated other than this one small thing we'd done. And I texted him and I said, rafa, I'm in the redwoods. I just communed with, I think, our ancestors. He's from Ecuador. And I got this vision that we're meant to do this Isabella Yen, the animated short film together, and we're supposed to create an Oscar campaign, and I'm supposed to do this with you. And I hit send and I waited a few minutes thinking, what the hell am I doing? And I saw the three little dots come up and I was like, okay, he's either gonna block me forever or like, I don't know what. And I suddenly get his message back and he writes, oh, my God, this is the craziest thing I've ever read. I don't know what you're talking about or what you're on, but I love every word of it. I am so in. And from that moment on, I was off to the races. And every single person in my vision that I've come to or gone to and asked to be a part of it from then on, including Isabel Allende, has said yes.
- [28:11]
A
And so I want to talk about some of the pragmatic fears you had because obviously nothing has stood in the way of this project wanting to get into the world.
- [28:20]
C
Yes.
- [28:22]
A
First one. Have you ever directed anything?
- [28:24]
C
Never. Other than in college.
- [28:26]
A
Yeah. And so I just want the audience to know, like, it is hard to get people to fund anything as a first time director, especially high level.
- [28:33]
C
Yes.
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A
And then Isabel Allende. I mean, it must be so expensive to option her book. She's one of the most famous writers in the world. So talk to me about how on earth you went about this and what happened.
- [28:44]
C
Yes, well, what happened was. And actually before that, let me just insert the fear part and the Oscar part because. Because I don't want to forget to tell you this part. So what's amazing is the last little button of. And by the way, you're going to be putting together an Oscar campaign for this because of what you said, because of never having directed. It just sounded so audacious, so wildly, like egotistically crazy to be like, I'm gonna put together an Oscar campaign for something I don't even have the rights to or own. And as I've gone through this journey, I've realized that that last little bit was not about winning an Oscar, winning a statue. It was about telling myself because I am worthy of it. And those words were almost like the, the present day this world password to say I'm worthy of this, I'm worthy of the best. And everybody I've brought onto the project telling them that. And by the way we're going after an Oscar campaign has been a way to tell them because I think you're worth it. And one thing that I really realized is as Latinos, and especially in this industry, the only thing that holds us back, not talent, not knowledge, not storytelling, not having each other, it's that fear that we're not worthy and that other people will not find as worthy. So those few words was just the. I found the very quick and easy way to tell people when I was pitching this, yeah, I'm standing here and I believe in myself, I'm worthy. You should believe in myself too. Which is crazy because I would never. I'm such a humble person that to have those words come out of my mouth was almost the first challenge that they gave me. Wow. But that has kind of made me feel like, yeah, you know, I can do this and you can all do this with me. So anyway, back to your question.
- [30:36]
A
Yeah, because I think like one getting the rights or you know, to tell a story to a book from one of the most famous, prolific, best selling authors in the world is no easy feat. And then fundraising is no easy feat. And I would imagine one of the most difficult things to fundraise for outside documentaries is short animated films.
- [30:57]
C
Animation is so crazy expensive. Not to mention nowadays animation is in a total slump. It's so hard to get anything made. Even the big studios can barely find money to get anything done. So when I first went about this, to be crazy enough to want to bring this into the world and an Isabella and the story into the world, not even something that's for kids. And to get it funded and to make it 15 minutes long, it's like most people would have thought, including myself, by the way, before this vision came to me, that I was crazy. But what's funny is, I didn't even know what story the vision was about. I had no idea. I didn't even know she had written short stories. I'd never read any of them. I'd only read her novels. So the first thing I did after Rafa said, I'm in, I got home. I was dying to get back home. I get in, and I immediately start Googling, has Isabel Allende written any short stories? And it turns out she's only written one book of compilations of short stories. And it was based on her novel Eva Luna. And the short story compilation is called Cuentos de Va Luna. Basically, stories of Eva Luna. And so the second I saw that, I bought the digital copy. Cause I could not wait for the hardcover to come. Bought the digital copy, started reading it right then and there. And the very first story I read was called Dos. Two Words. And I read the story, and as soon as I finished reading it, and it's just a short little story, I knew with every cell of my being, oh, my God, that that is the story I meant to tell. And I knew so profoundly that I started reading the other stories. And it was weird. It was almost like my body was rejecting them because I didn't want to waste time. I was like, why am I wasting time? I know this is a story. I just trust the intuition. And so I immediately emailed Rafa. I took screen caps of it, sent them to him. I was like, this is it. This is the story we're meant to do. And he was just on board, you know, he was like, okay, that's the story we're meant to do. Now what? And I was like, okay, now I guess we figure out who has the rights. So we write her a letter. And actually, Rafa wrote her the letter about me, which was so beautiful and humbling because he put all his favors that he could possibly muster into this letter to her about me wanting to do the story and the why he writes her this letter. And then we wait, and about two weeks later, we hear back from the agents, and they kind of said, oh, my God. Yeah, those palavas. Yeah, that. That happens to be her most beloved short story she's ever written. She wrote it in 1989. She's been asked for the rights by multiple people, and she has said no to every single one of them. They're like, so, good luck. And we were like, okay. And the funny thing is, most people would have been deterred by that and thought, oh, my God, she doesn't give the rights to anyone. But all I could think was, no one has the rights. That means it's possible. And then a couple weeks later, we get a call back from the agents, and they're like, oh, my God, this is crazy. We don't even know what's happening. This is so weird and rare. She read the letter and she said, yes. She said, yes, you can have the rights. And then we said, okay, so we'll need the shopping rights, you know, for a year, because we're going to have to gather the funds first. And they said, well, how much? How much do you want to give for the shopping rights? And of course, we have no money. We're both out of work at the time. So we were totally ballsy and we were like, for free. And they were like, you guys are crazy.
- [34:28]
A
Small rituals in the day. And often, I mean, small are what keep me grounded. For instance, I try to take a few minutes in the morning to meditate or do yoga. So no matter how crazy the day gets, I start off on my best foot. But once summer vacation hits for my kids or I'm traveling for the film or podcast, that rhythm can get really hard to maintain. That's why I've been loving Cachava's new travel packs. They've made it so easy to take a wellness ritual with me. Wherever I am, I can just toss a couple packets in my bag and suddenly I have something that actually supports my body. Even if everything else is in flux. It's not just convenient, it's genuinely nourishing. I notice more sustained energy throughout the day, and it supports my digestion and keeps me fueled. Just one packet provides complete nutrition, ready for life on the go with protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, greens, probiotics, omegas, electrolytes, and more. It just feels good knowing that even when my routine changes, I can still show up for myself in this one consistent way. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to kachava.com and use code tapes for 15% off your first order. That's Kachava. K A C-H-A-V A.com code tapes. I love to host, but I'm also impromptu, which means hosting is usually on the fly. That used to mean I had to run to the store to grab whatever looked decent. But that all changed when I started using Omaha Steaks. We love being able to spontaneously pull together a great meal without stress. And having high quality protein already stocked, ready to go has made that so much easier. I'm more of a pescatarian, and I love their salmon and shrimp, which are so fresh and flavorful. But my family loves their steak and burgers. We made their filet mignon recently and it was so tender. And what's great is you can build a custom plan. It all ships right to your door. And everything is individually vacuum sealed. So I'm never wasting food or making last minute runs. They've got steaks, seafood, chicken, pork, even desserts. So it's not just one kind of meal. It's real variety and the quality is consistent. Taste the Omaha steaks difference and never settle for grocery proteins again. Get flavorful, high quality proteins delivered by visiting Omaha steaks.com/$35 off when you use promo code tapes at checkout. That's Omaha Steaks.com code tapes terms apply. See site for detail.
- [36:43]
C
They're like, all right, we'll go back. And we thought, well, what do we have to lose? You know, maybe they'll come back with something. They call us back and they're like, this is crazy. This is so rare. We don't even know what's happening. Who are you? Like, you're a nobody. We've never heard of you. She said, yeah, she'll give you the shopping rights for a year for free. And we were like, wah. And I tell you, Kai, the moment the contract came in and her signature was on the contract next to my signature, I showed. The first person I showed was my mom. She burst into tears and she said, oh, my God, your abuelitos would have been so proud to see this. And all I could think was, yeah, they see this, they help make this happen. And it was just so profoundly beautiful,
- [37:29]
A
you know, because they would have known her too, I mean, growing up, right?
- [37:32]
C
Oh, my gosh. Everybody. Ask anybody in Latin America, yes, they know her. She's famous as Stephen King. It's like Stephen King giving the rights to his most beloved short story to someone he's never met for nothing. Like, when does that ever happen? Never, Never. But when that happened to me, I thought, okay, I have been given this precious gift, this beautiful baby that wants to be brought to life. And somehow it's found its way to me. And I'm going to do everything in my power to. Yeah, to bring it up and bring it out into the world.
- [38:10]
A
And so then the next challenge you have, you need to find money.
- [38:15]
C
So then have the shopping rights now. We need to have money. Don't have much time. So I started again. I first started reaching out to friends of mine that were artists that I admire hugely. Mostly Latinos, some not all of them immediately, resoundingly said yes. But the biggest part of the puzzle I had to put together was who the production company was going to be and or how I was going to get the money to hire a production company. And there's a yearly festival that's the biggest film festival for the animation industry in France called the Annecy Film Festival. And one morning I just woke up and I thought, I have to go there. I meant to go to France and find what I'm looking for there, which sounds absolutely crazy. I was out of work. So was my husband at the time. And so to spend money to drop everything, leave our kids behind, and go all the way to France just sounded insane. But I just knew I had to do it. And so I booked it. We fly out there, and one of the companies I met with was Icon Creative Studio. I pitched them the story, and the most amazing thing happened. They said to me, pilar, we can make this happen. And of course we want to do this with you. And I was like, wait, what? Whoa. I mean, usually to do a short, I mean, it can sometimes cost millions, you know, to make something, especially the quality I was going for. And here they were going, yeah, we can do this for you. And they reminded me that when they first got their start in the industry, I was one of the biggest advocates of theirs and I helped them get their first job at Disney. And they said, don't you remember? You were our biggest supporter when we first started. Now we want to do this for you.
- [39:52]
A
That's cool.
- [39:53]
C
And. But I somehow knew I had to fly all the way to France, sit with them, look them in the eye, have this physical energy exchange for us to be on that same wavelength, to then move forward with this giant gamble on both of our parts, mostly theirs, honestly.
- [40:07]
A
Yeah, I mean, it's pretty wild to go all the way to France. And that's like a big, bold swing when you are out of work.
- [40:13]
C
Out of work as a poor family.
- [40:14]
A
I mean, it's a family. I mean, it's a huge swing when you're out of work. That would terrify me. So where are things at now? Is it out of production? Are you doing an Oscar campaign? What's the status?
- [40:22]
C
Yeah, so now we go into production next month. We already have the animatic pretty much locked and done. We've done our cast auditions, but it has just been in such beautiful flow. It has all just come together. And I have to say, in directing this project, I've never felt more in flow centered. Feeling like it was Something I was meant to be doing. Like, everything has just felt so right all along the way. Even the words I use when I'm launching my artists or talking to them. And it's funny because, you know, this is a story about the power of words and the magic of words, but it's also a story about female empowerment and kind of the divine feminine. And sometimes, you know, you know, dudes that have nothing to do with this that have never heard of Isabella, then me talking to them about magical realism and her hair flows, you know, up upside down because it's meant to symbolize water flowing upwards. For the first time in my life, I haven't held myself back as far as how I describe it or how I let it pour out of kind of my. My inner being. And I found that has absolutely been the way to go, you know, for all this.
- [41:30]
A
For people who feel like they have a download like this, a creative download that feels impossible. They've never directed anything. They don't have the option. They don't find the money. I mean, those are obstacles that I think turn people completely away from chasing their dreams. What would be your advice?
- [41:48]
C
My advice would be that it is partly believing in yourself, but the other huge part is doing the work and putting in the work. And I think there's a balance. One cannot exist without the other. And, you know, at this stage of my career, I feel like I couldn't have done this. I couldn't have told the story or taken on this responsibility at the beginning of my career. So I feel like I had to go on this journey to get to this point where, yes, a, I believe in myself, but balance, know how to do it. And so bringing both of those things together is what is bringing this to life. So I would say to anybody that has a dream that wants to follow it, it's equal parts. You make it happen as much as the universe does, and you're kind of one in the same. So when I felt that calling, I could have pushed it aside. But I did the work to ask the universe, what is it to tell my friends, help me find it, to fly myself out places and look for it. And I almost feel like those were obstacles or challenges that were put in front of me to prove to myself that I was serious, that I really was committed to this story that was precious enough to choose me. And had I not chosen to do those things or intuitively follow that, yeah, I think it would have kind of easily dissolved or left or gone to someone else. But one thing I feel strongly it's that this story wants to be told now. It needs to be told. It wants to come to life. And I almost just feel like it's vessel and it's. I'm kind of following its lead, not the other way around. So whatever it points me to or whatever I intuitively feel it's putting in my path, I've just wholeheartedly said yes and grabbed on and followed it as best I could.
- [43:31]
A
Can you just briefly, in like two lines, tell us what the story's about? For those who don't know, the short
- [43:36]
C
story Dos Palavras, which means two words, is a story about the magic of words. And it's the story of a woman named Belisa Crebusculario who comes from nothing and in her journey discovers that words make their way around us in the world and that anyone, absolutely anyone with a little cleverness or, you know, the mana we say in Spanish, which is kind of like the want, can grab ahold of them and create something magical. But it's also a story about our intention with those words and that we have the power to bring those words to life and we can use them for either darkness and tyranny or for love and inspiration. And it's truly what's within us and what our intention is that brings those words to full life.
- [44:29]
A
It's such. I mean, I just love that. A story that is truly about big magic, the creative museum existing around us, being, wanting to be made manifest. That is the story that came and chose you through that exact same. I mean, it's like the story is mirroring your story. It's just so unbelievable. Which is why I love this so much. Is when you hear what the story is about.
- [44:53]
C
Yes.
- [44:54]
A
The fact that it chose you the way it did.
- [44:55]
C
Yeah. I mean, I'm getting full body chills even now. You just saying that because. Yeah, that's what I marvel at almost every day. And what's funny is that I was a little girl who wanted so badly to tell stories, but growing up, I actually was really afraid to speak. I was incredibly shy, and I was one of those little girls that was afraid to talk to anyone, even people I knew. I used to make my brother answer the phone when it rang because I was so afraid to talk to anybody on the other line. And so speaking words into being was something I was terrified of growing up. And then to become a producer, I guess, in this industry was a shock to me as well, because as a producer, you have to speak, you know, in so many meetings, you have to Rally so many of the troops, per se, and actually, something I always tell so many of my young girl mentees is that you don't have to be the loudest person in the room. You don't have to be the one with the. The strongest words. You just have to be the one to listen and then repeat the words back with. With your strongest intent. And that is what I think makes the best creatives the best producers, is someone who leads by listening and then repeating back the words that you hear, whether from your own intuition or from the intuition of others around you.
- [46:13]
A
Yeah, well, it's an incredible story. When can people expect to finally see it, do you think?
- [46:19]
C
We're hoping to be done this year, and so to start the film festival route next year, which, again, is super fast in the world of animation. It's crazy that we could be done in a year, but that's our goal. So hopefully, 27, 28, we'll have DOS Palavras be out in full magical, beautiful realism in the world.
- [46:39]
A
And have you talked to Isabel lately? Like, do you give her updates on things?
- [46:42]
C
We've sent her kind of images and what we've been doing, and I think we're gonna hopefully get together with her soon. We have a press release coming out. She's given us a quote for. So I'm super excited to have that press release out and to feel like it's real and that we're all partners. No. And I'm just. Every part of my being is just so excited to bring this story that is clearly wanting and dying to be out into the world at this time and to make it a reality about
- [47:10]
A
stories that are wanting and dying to be out in the world. I mean, that's what's so amazing about this.
- [47:14]
C
The full circle and in animated form during a time where animation is dying and at a time when Isabel Allende's books, even though she's written so many, not one of them, which I can't believe has ever been translated to animation, even though she's one of the founders of magical realism, which is another thing that's just crazy to me.
- [47:34]
A
It's amazing. It's a brilliant story. Thank you so much for coming and sharing it. The first time I heard it from you, it was just like, this is. It's truly the big magic moment that so many creatives work for and want.
- [47:47]
C
Yes.
- [47:48]
A
But you're right. It's about effort and surrender.
- [47:50]
C
And thank you for asking me about it, because.
- [47:53]
A
Beautiful.
- [47:54]
C
Yeah, it's been something really special to me. So thank you, Kai. I really appreciate it.
- [47:57]
A
Of course. Thank you, Pilar. That was awesome.
- [47:59]
C
Thank you, Kai.
- [48:00]
A
That's it for this episode of the Talk Tracks, but new episodes will be released every Wednesday, so stay tuned as we work to unravel all the threads, even the veiled ones that knit together our reality. And please remember to stay kind, stay curious, and that being a true skeptic requires an open mind to dive in deeper. Subscribe to our Backstage Pass by visiting our website. With it, you'll unlock access to bonus content like telepathy tests, Ask Me Anything, interviews with myself and guests. You'll be able to enjoy the podcast ad free, connect with other members on our Telepathy Tribe Discord and hear and see exclusive content from the Telepathy Tapes Vault. Visit our website@thetelepathytapes.com for more info on how to subscribe to our Backstage Pass. Thank you to my amazing collaborators, producers Kathryn Ellis and Selena Kennedy. Technical directing, audio, mix and finishing by Jeremy Cole, Opening and closing music by Elizabeth PW and original logo and cover art by Ben Condora. Design. I'm Kai Dickens, your executive producer, writer and host.
- [49:03]
C
I just got up there and I
- [49:04]
A
was just like, oh my God, thank you, thank you.
- [49:09]
C
And then I heard someone, anyone, please help. He's like Superman being able to carry
- [49:14]
A
me off the mount.
- [49:18]
C
The award winning Tell Me what happened podcast from OnStar is back. New emergencies, new heroes. Find out what happens in season six of Tell Me what Happened. Out now.
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B
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