Creative Inspiration and Why I Watched Guava Island Instead of Game of Thrones

Michael Dixon
Apr 15, 2019
3 min read

Updated: Apr 16, 2019

As the last night of my three-day weekend was coming to a close, I was faced with a dilemma. Should I spend my final few hours watching the widely-anticipated Game of Thrones Season 8 Premiere, or the far lesser-known Amazon Prime Original Movie premiere of Guava Island featuring Childish Gambino?

This was a major dilemma for me as Donald Glover, often known by his musical alias Childish Gambino, has been a huge creative influence on my life through his music, movie roles, TV series, standup comedy, and moreover his unapologetically weird style and creative endeavors.

I even created one of my first YouTube videos using one of his songs.

So with the premier of his latest film project, Guava Island (released on April 13th) and the premier of the final season of Game of Thrones occurring around the same time, I was forced to make a decision how to spend the remaining hours of my Sunday night.

Of course, I'd be able to eventually stream both at my leisure, but there was a social element tied to what everyone would be talking about in the office tomorrow, and while I can appreciate Game of Thrones, it wasn't my frontrunner in this match-up.

However, after spending some of the weekend feeling a little isolated (on my own island) and questioning some of my life choices, I decided to join the record-breaking 17.4 million viewers (via Variety) who tuned into Game of Thrones premier.

Although part of me wanted to see if the premier would live up to the hype, I knew I was ultimately compromising what I really wanted to do for the opportunity to fit in and connect with others about something I honestly didn't care much about.

I began watching the Game of Thrones premiere, knowing I might not have time to watch Guava Island until tomorrow night, or if I was too busy, the night after that, or possibly the night after that, and so on.

However, after 20 minutes of ominous stares, long pauses, and scenes void of any real color, I ditched the moody medieval revenge porn that is Game of Thrones, and dove into Guava Island!

Guava Island Overview and Key Takeaways

Instantaneously, my whole mood and vibe changed! I felt physically lighter and happier with my choice. I'm not sure if it was due to my decision to break away from the pack and do what felt genuine to me, or the bright colors and feel-good music in the opening credit scenes.

I thought to myself "If the earth was struck by an asteroid tomorrow, I'm glad I chose to watch what I really wanted to tonight."

[MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD]

Without giving too much away, the story follows Donald Glover's character Deni Maroon, a local musician and factory worker on the fictitious island of Guava, and his romantic relationship with Rihanna's character Kofi.

Deni is a free loving spirit, who dreams of one day writing a song so great that it will unite the people of his island and they will be reminded of the magic that Guava once had, if even only for a minute.

Deni is faced with his own dilemma -- to play at the island's music festival despite the threats of Red, a wealthy businessman and owner of Red's Cargo, the island's primary export, or disappoint the people of Guava who rely on Deni's music as relief from their busy lives.

The 55-minute movie, displayed entirely via a 4:3 aspect ratio and grainy old school film filter, is a stylish "tropical thriller" which blends Childish Gambino's original music, colorful dance choreography, and eccentric style into each beautifully shot scene.

I enjoyed this movie as a whole and especially enjoyed some of the comedic relief Childish Gambino provides with a simple look or dance move. Overall I wanted more from the film, but can appreciate it for what it is rather than comparing it to a full-length studio movie.

Closing Thoughts

I relish these moments of inspiration in movies, music, and art. It is the tinder that sparks my own creative flame and isn't often found in the presence of compromise, but rather when your soul is aligned with your most authentic self.

Truthfully, I needed this reminder, and the fact that it came almost instantly once I realigned myself with what felt authentic to me, seemed like it was an acknowledgement from something Beyond myself and a reminder to continue to do what feels right for you first.

I hope this inspires you to follow what feels most authentic to you, so that you may find your own creative inspirations wherever they may lie.

Stream “Guava Island” now via Amazon Prime.