Personas: How Larry David, Bob Dylan, and Woody Allen go to extremes
They all follow Derek Sivers' advice: "Be an extreme character."
According to Derek Sivers: To be a great entertainer, you need to be larger than life.
When people say that a movie has a great character, they mean it was someone especially shocking, funny, or honest. To be a great entertainer, you need to be larger than life.
Push your outer boundaries. Show your weirdness. Bring out all your quirks. The world needs that.
Your public persona — the image you show the world — should be an extreme character. It can be a version of yourself, or it can be a mask. (It’s easier to be honest behind a mask.)
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It’s more interesting for the audience if you’re the opposite of normal. So be an extreme character. The spotlight is the excuse. You can get away with anything in the name of entertainment.
Some related examples/takeaways:
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