The Howie Severino Podcast: 10 important lessons from Ricky Lee

Ricky Lee is the guest in this week's episode of The Howie Severino Podcast and my, what an episode it is.

The 53-minute conversation between the prolific scriptwriter and the Kapuso journalist is so insightful, intelligent, and empathic, you might just cling to it as a guide to life of sorts, especially in these times.

Ricky makes very clear sense of life's difficulties and challenges, of our jobs and our sadness — even his experience during Martial Law and the unfortunate revision we are encountering — that we simply had to share our highlights with you below.

But please do yourselves a favor and listen to the episode. You will be enriched by it.

1. On being open: Wag ka magsara muna. Magbukas ka, kasi maski saan ka papunta, maski eventually pangit na lumabas ang pelikula, pero tinry mong pagandahin, ang dami mong matututunan. Walang matatapon. Walang masasayang.

Naging bukas na bukas ako. Drama, comics, horror. Sinong direktor? Baguhan? Sige, I'll work with him. Sobra akong bukas. I think nakatulong nang malaki rin para makilala ako. Para akong bumala sa buong industriya, working with all these directors.

I was very open to be stretched in all directions, left-right, north, east west. Kung saan niyo ako dalhin, OK lang.

2. On leaving your comfort zone: Kung iba siya, malaki ang posibilidad na mag-fail or pumangit — or comedy na hindi ako sanay, hindi ko comfort zone. Pero enjoy ako kasi bago siya. I learn a lot, so pasok ako. "Naku, action director, pangit ang mga pelikula niya." No, I have to try doing a project with him.

3. On the importance of negative things in life: Kung hindi madilim ang langit, hindi natin makikita ang mga bituin. Kailangan mo ng dilim para mas kuminang yang mga bituin. Kung puro bituin lang, hindi mo naman makikita yan. I think sa buhay, kailangan talaga natin ng dilim, ng pain, ng agonies.

Sadness, pain — they're part of life so instead of denying it or rejecting it, learn how to accept it and then turn it around and make it advantageous para sarili mo.

4. On confronting your sadness: Pag may negative event sa buhay, hindi ko siya ide-deny. Titingnan ko. Ano bang pagka-nega nito? Ano bang pain dito? And then, paano ko siya matu-turn around para mas makita ko kung kabilang side?

Dalawahan lagi ang lahat ng bagay. Walang good lang, walang bad lang. Laging may good and bad.

5. On being "boxed up": Lahat tayo nakakahon eh. Huwag mag-complain na nakakahon tayo. Ang importante, kung nasa kaon ka, pagbangga ka nang bangga, eventually makakahanap ka ng butas para makalabas.

Habang bumabangga ka, duon ka naggo-grow, duon ka nagiging strong, duon ka natututo. Saan ba ang butas dito? Anong klaseng paraan ang pagbangga ng butas? And then makakalaya ka. Importante yang kahon. Kung walang kahon, hindi ka maggo-grow.

Ang mahalaga, ang attitude mo towards the kahon. Anong gagawin mo dahil may kahon? Kung may dilim, anong gagawin mo na may dilim?

6. On finding your voice: Combination ka ng good and bad. Combination ka ng mga dreams and victories and happiness mo and choice, your trauma and nightmares and fears. Pag pinaghalo mo yun, ikaw yun. Yun ang boses mo.

You cannot deny the negative side and just be writing from your positive side. Hindi ikaw ang totoong 'yun.

7. On being vulnerable: Pag humarap ka sa kanila na galing sa pinakaluob mo ang kinukwento mo, maririnig ka nila kasi meron din silang pinanggagalingang mga sugat at mga brokenness at mga pain.

8. On why being a good person is more important than being a good writer: It's important na mabuti kang tao — may malaking puso — kung gusto mo maging mahusay na scriptwriter.

When you start writing, ilalaman mo sa puso mo lahat ng pinakamabubuti at pinakamasasamang character. Kailangan mo silang ma-embrace. Kung hindi mo sila maee-embrace, ang liit ng puso mo, masikip. Hindi ka makapagsusulat with empathy about all of them. So kailangan you're a good person. You're a kind person.    

9. On balancing creativity and commercialism: There is no conflict. The writer does not exist in a vacuum. Hindi ako nagsusulat nang mag-isa sa mundo ko. May mundo akong kinabibilangan. And there are two aspects to that world: political and the reality of industry.

Maski na sabihin kong personal beliefs and traumas ang sinusulat ko, hindi ko yan sinusulat na hindi ko nakikita yung kinalalagyan kong lipunan. I have to respond to it because I'm living in this society, and my audience lives in this society. I cannot be apart from it. I need to listen to it and be attuned to it.

When I write, I want to be read. I want people to see my movies. I cannot equate popularity with mababang quality. I want [my work] to be as popular as possible. There is nothing wrong there.

Gumagawa ako ng teleserye halimbawa, gusto ko siyang pinakamagandang magagawa na makaka-reach pa rin sa audience ko. Hindi ako magso-shortcut. Hindi ko gagawan ng paraan na maka-reach sa audience ko, ie-exploit ko ang sex o i-exploit ko ang maraming bagay o pagtatawanan ko ang mga etcetera or i- encourage ko ang prejudices na yun kasi 'yan ang nagki-click. Hindi ako magko-compromise that way.

I will find ways for my show to reach more audience because that's precisely why I'm writing. I want to be read by as many people as possible. I don't see any contradictions.

10. On what makes a good writer: Nakakatanggal ka ng harang, ng pagkabulag ng tao. Kung minyan, hindi mo nakikita yung sacrifices ng nanay mo na gumigising ng madaling araw kasi taalt ang trabaho nya. hindi mo siya nakikita, nabubulag ka na. Trabaho ng writer na tanggalin yung harang ng mga taong hindi nakikita ang kanilang mga nanay. Kailangang tanggalin ang pagkabulag. That's our job.  Kung makapagtatanggal ako ng harang sa pagkabulag sa mga tao, I think I've done a good job. At kung maraming nanood, lalo nang I've done a good job. — LA, GMA News