The Art of a Main Character

Movie theaters are like therapy.

Sure, the smell of buttered popcorn at the bottom of your nearly-empty bucket may be enough to make you feel at home in the dark expanse of velvet chairs, but there's something you can't replace once the credits start to roll. Something you can't find anywhere else once you walk back into the world after seeing a film—recall-worthy or Oscar-winning regardless.

It's the feeling of the 'Main Character' already latched onto your mind like a cinematic leech.

Like the protagonist, you also went through the perilous journey displayed on the screen; wether it was watching someone tackle the cliques of High School or fending off zombies in a crumbling society. The truth is, it doesn't matter what movie you saw, the effect is almost always the same (cartoons excluded, because it's awfully hard to relate to a 2D person who breaks out into song every five minutes).

A lot of people walk out of the theater feeling like they want to be someone else. They want to be as cool and quick-witted as Jack Sparrow, as charming and intelligent as Hermione Granger, or maybe even as cunning and popular as Regina George.

But they feel inspired, nonetheless, and it's that inspiration which can be the greatest tool when organizing your life.

In a directorial sense, it's time to put your life back into 'action'!

Organizing your life can be a tough thing to do, which requires a lot of motivation and energy. Cleaning your room? You'll do it later. Finish your pile of work? You'll treat yourself to a nap first. It's easy to fall back into procrastination as your safety net, because sometimes you just 'don't feel like doing anything'. It's normal, and it's not always a bad thing.

But that's not something a Main Character would do, is it?

No, absolutely not! How boring would it be if Gatsby decided to lay on the couch instead of throwing a grandiose party? I'll answer it for you: extremely.

So, channel your inner Main Character complex, throw on some tunes you vibe with, maybe throw a wink to the nonexistent camera, and get stuff done—wether it be cleaning, finishing that novel you've been putting off, or trying to better your personality.

The problem with losing your grip on your ambition is that sometimes you feel like your world doesn't center around what you want. It's understandable. It hurts. You might not get that promotion you wanted, your date stood you up, or life just feels messy.

But what main character doesn't have their own struggles? The only difference is that they have the strength and ambition to overcome them—and that's a trait you want to add into the 'Movie of Your Life' too. This is your story, make the most of it!

But I won't sit here and talk about the idea of being a main character, I'll put it into steps:

#1. Find Your Soundtrack

Movies wouldn't be half as exciting if there wasn't the perfect soundtrack playing throughout it. Try to imagine Mamma Mia without ABBA, or Call Me By Your Name without Sufjan Stevens. Difficult, right? By finding the songs you identify with, you can envision yourself inside your own film. Dancing in the rain with your head thrown back at the sky? Bruno Mars. Cleaning out your messy closet? Maxine Nightingale.

When you have the music, it's easy to find the motivation.

#2. Accept Your Mistakes.

No one's perfect. Not even Timothée Chalamet, which may come as a surprise, but it's true. Humans make mistakes, and so do Main Characters (psst, it's basically the whole plot). It's okay to feel hurt by your mistakes, but it's important to not let them get the best of you. By incorporating the idea of being the protagonist into your own life story, you tie in the knowledge that things will get better.

Mistakes are the seeds that plant change, and soon you'll be back on track to that happy-ending.

#3. Trust Yourself

You can do this! You control your actions, and you control your life. If you have a goal you want to complete, or if you want to organize your routine, don't be scared to put yourself out there. You know yourself the best out of anyone, and if you trust yourself, you're already on your way to completing your own character arc.

Everyone's the hero in their own story so it's time for you to own it.

Throw on those tunes, dance around in your room, and always keep in mind the three rules to being a Main Character.

And maybe watch a movie while you're at it.