We recently connected with Sean Wing and have shared our conversation below.
Sean , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Meaningful projects is all that currently matters to me. I’ve made hundreds of thousands of dollars on projects I didn’t care about and 0 dollars on projects that I care deeply about. I wouldn’t trade the 100 thousand dollars for the project I cared for. I really wouldn’t. Can’t take the money with you when you die. Nothing against money, you can fund a project you care about with that money and perhaps it’s all a balance. But idealogically speaking, the money isn’t my life currency. It’s the meaning.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been an actor most of my life, but pivoted to writing and creating my own projects half a decade ago. I was quite lucky to work a lot much of my 20s and 30s but have pivoted to writing and creating my own projects in the recent decade. My most proud work would have to be my short film I Know Jake Gyllenhaal is Going to F*ck My Girlfriend that I wrote and starred in. It represented a great shift in my life where I wasn’t going to wait around to get roles any more. I was going to make the roles myself. And it ended up being much more rewarding than being cast for another project. I have since been writing screenplays and hope to make them all, whether I direct them or someone else does.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
This is a difficult answer to express, but I was working for my agent the entire time I was with them (I no longer am). I was extremely shy about expressing exactly what I wanted. I wanted to please them, make them money, make them proud. But I was neglecting my inner creative force. And when you are neglecting that I don’t think it will sustain. the bottom will drop out. And it did. We are no longer together and it’s like a break up where you can’t pin point exactly what went wrong, you just know it wasn’t right. Well, I wasn’t being my authentic self, I was trying to be what I thought they (the industry and my agents) wanted. It’s no way to live. I’m not saying be extremely selfish and don’t make any compromises, but the more compromises you make the less authentic you will be and I just don’t think it is ultimately productive. In summary, make sure your reps love YOU and not an idea of you. YOU.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I’m very easy I’ve come to realize. Someone gave me a deep astrological reading one time and I’m not sure to what degree I find any of that real or helpful but something she said really stuck with me. “If you are not creating you are dying.” This could not be more true. When I’m not making something it somehow feels like death or dying. When I’m creating, I feel completely alive and very happy. So it’s simple. As long as I get to continue to create (and technology has made this incredibly accessible for everyone), I’m happy. That will be my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@seanmwing
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinylittlebabyboy/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmwing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tinylittlebabyboy
Image Credits
Fired on Mars – Nick Vokey, Nate Sherman