Human 37: Meg O'Connell

TV creator, writer and producer

With strong Irish heritage, Meg O’Connell moved to Australia from South Africa when she was around 5 years old. She is a TV creator and writer, and runs her own production company, Unless Pictures. Meg co-created, wrote and produced Retrograde for ABC TV, and was development manager on the Logie and International Emmy award-winning kid’s series, Bluey. Meg also produced the International Emmy award-winning Doodles for ABC ME, the AACTA award-winning Robbie Hood for SBS On Demand, and the International Emmy nominated Content for ABC iview.

When I started this blog, Meg was exactly the type of person I was hoping to attract – interesting, intelligent and thoughtful. I am incredibly grateful she took the time to do this with me.

Meg is a human mammal. Here are her thoughts:

What brings you the most joy in life?

Being read to. Impromptu comedy bits in day-to-day interactions. Going to sleep thinking about having a coffee the next morning. Being in a hammock. Good pillows.

What does success mean to you?

I had to look it up to make sure I knew what it meant. Internet says “accomplishment of an aim or purpose” which is maybe why it’s not a word I use intuitively. I don’t believe there’s a point where anyone has simply accomplished their aim or purpose. It is all ongoing, all process. I do have a deep appreciation for brilliance, growth and excellence — so that could be what it means to me.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?

Becoming a morning person.

What are you most grateful for?

Furniture that could be inside being outside instead. One time in a share house we moved the TV set and couch outside on a sunny day (so my housemates could continue to play Fallout) and I often remember it. I am writing this now from the deck in our house which is replete with a coffee table, daybed, armchair, and large “indoor” dining table.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I am a private person.

Who or what has had the biggest influence on your life?

My upbringing, my partner Jamie, and my brain chemistry.

What do you regret?

Regret is a bit all in for me, I seem to regret everything or nothing depending on the day.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be kinder to yourself, and try to appreciate being listless.

What is the most important thing we can teach kids in school?

Permission to feel.

If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

For a long time after reading The Fry Chronicles, it was Stephen Fry. Now, I’m not sure. One of my grandads would be nice - I never got to meet either of them.

What do you doubt most?

I doubt almost everything.

When did you last have a significant change of mind?

My partner and I discussed different interpretations of this question. I often change my mind about people, or about myself (my limitations, capabilities, etc.), but he thought it was referring to changing your mind about a belief or issue. My argument (in favour of my interpretation) was that people are beliefs and issues. Maybe the fun lies in what it means to change your mind. Do you need to have a fixed view on something in order to change your mind? Because I don’t have many fixed views. Does something about the word significant indicate to some that people are discounted from the answer, and why?

What is the role of luck in our lives?

It’s hard to apply the fact that a little bit of luck contributes A LOT to all of our successes and failures. If we could properly appreciate what that means we might blame ourselves for less and take credit for less — both things that contribute to expanding perspective.

Do you have a favourite quote? What is it? Why do you like it?

“this is bliss” from Feel Free by Nick Laird.

What would you do with your life if you had unlimited financial resources?

Unlimited you say? Institute universal basic income. Give unlimited resources to rehabilitation research/centres, psychiatric research/institutions, and legal aid. Invest in alternative school systems. Study my own brain and behaviour and the brains and behaviour of others (i.e. have a research team and lab). Buy a large piece of land with multiple dwellings for friends and family and strangers to live when they need or want. Have heaps of coaches across various interests (flying, communication, yoga, cooking, leadership). And much more!

If you could have the definitive answer to a single question, what would you ask?

What is it to be dead?

What concept/fact/idea should every human on the planet understand?

Statistics.

Do you believe in God?

No.

Could we be living in a simulated universe?

I’m not sure if we could/can, but I certainly feel like we do (some days).

Will the continual development of technology have a net positive or negative influence on humanity?

This feels tautological to me. I see technology as an offshoot of humanity. So, if we’re asking if humanity will have a net positive or net negative influence on humanity I’d say we’ll break even at some point, and then who knows.

What is the single greatest achievement of humanity?

Going to space.

What do you see as the biggest existential threat to humanity?

Having to remember so many passwords, two-step verification, and the age of surveillance capitalism.

What does it mean to live a good life?

Making the life you have as good as it can be includes for me: being brave, using my imagination, seeking to change my own behaviour, making my space nice to live in, loving and spending time with those dear to me, attempting self-expression, trying to treat people with respect and cutting them a little slack, looking for possibilities for growth and expansion in the face of difficulty, appreciating moments of bliss, learning as much as possible (it seems to me almost anything can be interesting if you let it), and sharing.

What is a good death?

It is not unrelated to the above. I’ve already had so much of a good thing - when I die I should think I would be pretty chuffed with my time overall. I would prefer not to be very sick for a very long time before dying, but if that is the price I have to pay for so much privilege and joy I hope I could make my peace with that. In the moments before death, I would want my family (blood and water) close. Singing and wearing costumes. Dancing. Filling the room with flowers and song. And I would want Jamie there, reading to me and holding my hand. I would be sad then, but only because I have been so happy.

What question should I have asked you?

What book had the biggest impact on your life?

Thanks for your time, Meg!

Twitter: @megmegmehg

Website: unlesspictures.com

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