177: Filmmaker Ken Burns | “I Will Do Whatever Inly Rejoices Me.”

Ken Burns is an icon. He’s been making documentaries for nearly 50 years, and has taught more people about American History than anyone else. His documentaries span topics such as baseball, jazz, national parks, U.S. presidents, authors, and inventors. And his television series, The Civil War, attracted an audience of 40 million during its premiere, becoming the most watched show in the history of public television.

Ken’s films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including seventeen Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations. And Ken won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and was recently inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

In this episode we discuss the following:

• Ken kept three-ring binders on his desk that had hundreds of rejections. Those binders reminded Ken that we pay for what we get with effort, hard work, and perseverance.
• I love how Ken followed his passion. He ignored the conventional advice to move to New York City, and instead followed his heart and moved to New Hampshire, and that made all the difference.
• In the words of Emerson: I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever inly rejoices me, and the heart appoints.

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