"I remember being out here at the Sunset Marquis, and whoever knocked on the door, I would take that picture that I was writing and I would put that in the typewriter, so when I had the meeting, they would say: 'Oh, you're working on it right now?'"

John Sayles, with this recollection, offers an intimate glimpse into the complex dance between creativity and perception, especially in the context of professional expectation. He recounts staying at the Sunset Marquis, a well-known hotel favored by artists, which suggests an environment marked by ambition and creative exchange. Sayles describes a specific habit: whenever someone knocked on his door, often likely industry insiders, producers, or collaborators, he would quickly insert a page of whatever he was writing into the typewriter. The act wasn’t about actual productivity at that precise moment but about managing the expectations of visitors. When meetings occurred, and a producer or executive might wander in, they would see the in-progress page in the typewriter and presume he was diligently at work, right then and there.

This strategy reflects both the pressures and performative aspects of the creative industries, particularly in film and writing. Artists and writers, like Sayles, are often required not just to do the work, but also to be visibly engaged in it, to convince others, often gatekeepers of funding, distribution, or opportunity, that progress is being made. The mere appearance of productivity can be as important as actual productivity, especially in industries built on trust, anticipation, and deadlines. Sayles’s anecdote underscores the reality that much creative work is invisible, internal, and defies tidy schedules. Yet, in environments where results must be shown, and creative labor is always under scrutiny, the illusion of constant motion becomes a necessary tactic.

This moment also subtly acknowledges the vulnerability of the artist, Sayles desires his visitors to be reassured, to feel confident in his commitment, possibly to buy him more time or earn their patience. It is a testament to the psychological negotiation familiar to many creatives: balancing authentic process with the need for validation and continued support.