Debbie Millman has an ongoing project at PRINT titled “What Matters.” This is an effort to understand the interior life of artists, designers, and creative thinkers. This facet of the project is a request of each invited respondent to answer ten identical questions and submit a nonprofessional photograph.
Eric Segal is the co-founder of X&O, an expert network built to get to bigger ideas faster. He is the former chief creative officer at Anomaly, Grey, and McCann and has contributed to 5 Top Ten Super Bowl Ads, “the best commercial in the world,” according to CBS, and “one of the most effective and innovative uses of our platform,” according to Facebook.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
Wow. Coming strong out of the gate. I’m searching for something really profound here but what comes to mind is as basic as it gets. Sharing a great meal with friends. Especially if it’s a meal I cooked for them. Eating and drinking. Good food. Good company. That’s the stuff.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
When I was five or six, in day camp, there was a drawing contest. I created this purple dragon that I named The Duesseldorf. (For some reason I had heard that John Denver’s real name was John Duesseldorf, and even though I had no idea who John Denver was, it sounded ridiculous and made up and something I should repurpose). I remember loving the feeling of impressing my counselors and bunkmates. And at the end of the summer, I was awarded the most artistic camper. (In hindsight, I imagine everyone got some sort of award, though back then we weren’t as participation trophy crazy.) That idea of creating something other people appreciated, something they thought they couldn’t also do – it stuck with me. I had this new sense of self that definitely set me on a path.
What is your biggest regret?
This one is easy for me. I played drums all through grade school and high school. But I never played in a band. I don’t think I had the guts for some reason. I can’t put my finger on why but it still drives me nuts today. I think about it regularly. So why am I still not in a band, you follow up? Great fucking question.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
Music. That and the whole ‘time heals all wounds’ thing. I brood. And sometimes you just gotta wait for the sting of whatever it is to gradually grow less frequent. But music always helps. Finding that one song that was somehow written for you, for that very moment and that very ache. I remember the first time I really felt unrequited love in 5th grade. Stacey ripped my heart in two. And I wore out the tape listening to “Sweet Child of Mine” over and over again. I guess her hair reminded me of a warm safe place.
What makes you cry?
A lot. Gotta admit I like a good cry. I think I inherited it from my dad. He was a tough fucker. But then we used to catch him reaching a finger up behind his glasses to wipe a tear from the corner of his eyes during a sappy commercial. For me, any scene in a movie where that unbreakable bond between characters is on full display, especially between brothers or a parent and child crushes me. I recently bawled my eyes out on a plane watching the movie Iron Claw. Luckily, no one was sitting next to me. I was a puddle. EDIT: Also just cried last night at Wild Robot.
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
Unfortunately, it fades pretty quickly. I wish I could relish that pride and sense of accomplishment longer but I move on fast and am always looking for the next win and challenge. This drive has served me well in my career and brought success but I stew in the losses much longer than I revel in the victories.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
Sort of. I think that when we die, all our energy, our soul, gets dispersed and goes into the creation of new things. I think this speaks to the idea of past lives as well and why we, those who feel in tune with them, only remember bits and pieces or flashes of recognition. Maybe it literally is just a part of you. I very much believe in kindred spirits and the idea that bits of us have been intertwined and connected for longer than we know.
What do you hate most about yourself?
Hate is a strong word. I have a pretty healthy relationship with myself but I do want to try and work on how much I stew in a loss or misstep. See question six. Those moments can take me down or spiral, and I’ll think about the loss much more than I should, and probably well past after everyone involved has moved on.
What do you love most about yourself?
My optimism and strong sense of conviction.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
This is the hardest question of the bunch. Damn. Ordering lunch feels like one of the toughest decisions in my life. I can make a decision on buying a new house easier than choosing my next meal. But my favorite right now, as I type out an answer, would have to be fried chicken with all the fixins. But as soon as I hit send on this, I’ll probably have buyer’s remorse.
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