ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Is creativity a talent you’re born with — or something you can train?
Playwright and theatre director Stan Lai, one of the most influential figures in contemporary Asian theatre, shares his philosophy of creativity, discipline, and lifelong artistic growth.
After studying directing at UC Berkeley, Stan returned to Taiwan in the early 1980s when there was almost no theatre infrastructure and helped build a modern theatre movement from the ground up. Over four decades he has written more than forty plays, including Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, and developed a creative approach rooted in both craft and lived experience.
We talk about his idea of “wisdom and method” — that technique can be taught, but meaningful creativity comes from attention, failure, curiosity, and unlearning what blocks us.
In this conversation:
whether creativity can be taught
discipline vs inspiration
unlearning perfectionism
failure as part of mastery
sustaining creativity over decades
the role of life experience in art
building meaningful cultural work
staying humble through success
A thoughtful conversation about developing creativity not just as a skill, but as a way of living and seeing.
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