If you’ve spent much of your life trying to control your emotions through therapy sessions, self-help books, or medication, you can probably relate to Pixar’s new movie. Inside Out 2, We’ll dig deep into why anxiety and other emotions can sometimes make life a little chaotic.
SELF recently spoke with Meg LeFauve, the film’s screenwriter, about how her own life influenced her portrayal of emotions like anxiety and joy, and what she learned from the creative process.
Me: A lot of people, especially adults, say this. Inside Out 2 It helped me to better understand anxiety and other complex emotions. Did you expect this kind of reaction?
Meg LeFauve: “I honestly never dreamed of the kind of response the film has had. I’ve been overwhelmed in a good way. Women have emailed me saying they were shocked at how much they felt seen in the cinema. It brings me to tears.
At Storyroom, we’re always drawn to anything that feels authentic and true to the human experience, and while it takes a lot of effort to achieve that, the intention is always to speak truth to the audience so that they can embrace it and have a cathartic experience with you.
I want people to know that they’re not alone. That they don’t need to worry about other people. That how they feel comes from themselves, not from someone else’s opinion. These are all really important things that I tell my friends, so I’m really really happy and feel like I’ve won the lottery to be able to talk about these feelings out there.
Were any scenes in the film inspired by your own life?
For sure. I was a very anxious child. My father called me Moody Meg. No one could understand what was going on with me, and I had no words to talk about it, so it was easier to disappear. And for many years, even before I wrote my first book, Inside Out, When I’m feeling anxious, like before I go to a meeting to give a presentation, I literally just take a breath and visualize a little chair and say, “Thank you, anxiety. I know you’re trying to save my life. I know you’re trying to protect me, but I’m OK. Just sit down.” I’ve done that my whole life, because when you’re telling a story, you need to have access to joy. You can’t have anxiety swirling around in your head.
It was really fun to have that at the end of the movie. do It’s helped me, I’m not saying the anxiety doesn’t exist, she’s there and she’s trying to help me, but sometimes she steps aside.
