March 07, 2023

Severance Creator Dan Erickson On Staying True to Your Creative Vision, Becoming An "Overnight Success," and the Blurred Lines Between Work & Life

1 hour 10 minutes

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My guest today, Dan Erickson, is a writer, producer and creator of the hit Apple TV series, Severance. In this tell all conversation, Dan shares how his inspiration for creating Severance occurred while working a corporate job that included an unfortunate amount of experiences far too many of us can relate to (do windowless offices, featureless ceilings, and a strong desire to be able to forget about work as soon as you leave sound familiar?).

Dan’s amazing story of creating Severance has many twists and turns, and in this conversation we dive into them all. We talk about how he created the first draft of Severance in a matter of weeks, the seemingly endless obstacles and rejections Dan faced afterwards, and the ironic challenges with work-life balance that he experienced along the way to his success. We also dive into the underlying themes behind Severance, and how they could be far closer to our reality than we might expect.

This episode offers valuable insights into the making of Severance, as well as practical tips for anyone striving to find balance in their own life (I even put Dan on the Hot Seat to help him tackle his current work-life balance challenges). Whether you’ve seen the show yet or not (don’t worry, no spoilers!), I guarantee you’ll find Dan’s story as captivating as I did.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

What specific job experience inspired Dan to create the show Severance
How Dan was able to create the first draft of Severance in a matter of weeks
Despite all of the rejections and failures Dan endured, he stuck with his plan for one specific reason…
Why the story of Severance changed so much from its original draft (but how it still feels like the exact same story)
Why the story of Severance a lot closer to our reality than we think
How to break down the most important question from Severance: Who are you and can you become whole?
How to answer the question more and more people are asking…is it even possible to achieve 'work-life balance'?
How Dan was able to pull off becoming the showrunner of Severance despite the fact that he had zero experience
What Dan’s own personal work-life balance challenges were while ironically creating a show on the subject
What challenge Dan is now currently dealing with (that I put him on the Hot Seat to work through)

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Dan Erickson Is on the TIME100 Next 2022 List | TIME

Severance

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Guest Bio:

Dan Erickson

Dan Erickson grew up in Olympia, Washington with his parents Mark and Lynn, brother Matt and sister Hayley. He began writing plays and making movies with his siblings and friends at a young age, and went on to get his BA in English and Creative Writing from Western Washington University. He later attended NYU's Tisch School, where he received a Masters in Dramatic Writing. Upon moving to Los Angeles, he delivered food and worked in a string of office jobs, all while conceiving and writing the original pilot for Severance. The script became the first TV pilot ever selected for the annual Bloodlist, which ultimately led to a creative partnership with Red Hour Productions, Endeavor Content, and Apple. Dan now splits his time between Los Angeles and New York, while sneaking back to his beloved Washington state every chance he gets.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

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By Zack Arnold

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