Quarantine has changed a lot for David Lynch. It’s given him time to jumpstart his weather report series, upload never-streamed-before short films, and literally voice his support for Black Live Matter. Arguably best of all, it’s granted him ample time to expand his YouTube channel and find some much needed inner peace, both of which he talked about in a rare new interview with The Daily Beast.
The legendary director is a man of few words, but that didn’t stop him from explaining how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has altered his life for the better. Technically he was already making plans for his YouTube channel, David Lynch Theater, after filming for Twin Peaks: The Return wrapped, but it wasn’t until the “beautiful” life of forced isolation arrived that he found time to bring it to fruition. Now, Lynch is waking up earlier, feeling inspired to record regular content, and is coming to terms with the unlimited possibilities of the Internet.
“[Before quarantine] I would not want to schedule meetings before 11 in the morning, maybe even noon. Now, like this morning, I got up at 3:30, way before the birds,” said Lynch. “YouTube, it connects you with the world in a way. You get inspiration and ideas, and away you go.”
In addition to the aforementioned weather reports, Lynch has been busy populating his YouTube channel with the serialized release of Rabbits and a new series called What Is David Working on Today?. In the latter, Lynch gives fans a personal look at his day-to-day activities, ranging from the reimagining of everyday tools to craft projects for miniature microphone stands.
According to Lynch’s longtime producing partner, Sabrina S. Sutherland, working on the YouTube channel has become a beacon of “optimistic feelings of happiness” for Lynch, often in ways that come through on camera. In a way, this creative outlet is an outward expression of Transcendental Meditation, something Lynch frequentl champions and believes could help solve much of the nation’s current unrest.
Editors’ Picks
“Peace — real peace — is not just the absence of war, but the absence of negativity. In real peace, all diversity is appreciated fully,” Lynch explained. “It’s called the ‘Unified Field’ by physicists. It brings everything together. You still have all the differences, but they’re appreciated by everyone.” He added that if folks like POTUS would “get on the [Transcendental Meditation] program,” they could begin “getting happy, start losing all this stress and negativity that causes so much fucking problems in this world.”
The most exciting part of the interview, however, came at the tail end. When asked about the longevity of his weather reports, Lynch offered a cryptic response hinting that another in-the-works project could take priority. “There might be things coming along that would mean less time could be spent on the channel,” he said.
Could these “things” be short films, a new series, or even a full-length movie? Nobody can know for sure, least of all because Lynch is a surrealism enthusiast who takes pleasure in dodging the obvious answers. If anything, fans should just be grateful that he was this straightforward in admitting any project at all is on the horizon.
Editor’s Note: Check out our Consequence of Sound merch store for custom designed face masks and T-shirts. The whole shop is currently having a buy one, get one 50% off sale through July 31st. Proceeds benefit CoS, an independent media company, as well as the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.
