It’s not the struggle that makes us artists, but Art that makes us struggle.

Written by: Gene Blalock and Andria Chamberlin
Director: Gene Blalock
Starring: Johnny Indovina

What compels the artist to create? What coerces the writer to write? What happens when inspiration fades, the musician has played his last song, and the touchstones have lost their magic? Some would argue that one must not merely sit around and wait for inspiration to strike, but must actively seek it or lose it forever. So what would happen if, after finding fame and enjoying his life writing and performing music, a songwriter writes what might be his last song? Where would this leave him? In his own words, “I believe music is the only reason I was put on this planet.” What comes next?

After years of performing countless shows, spending days traveling and nights performing, all while attending to the necessary "business" of music, Human Drama's Johnny Indovina feels burnt out and emptied. Despite enthusiastic fans joining him in singing his well-worn favorites, Johnny feels he has lost his connection to his muse. Trying to interpret these dark feelings, Johnny decides to return to one of his favorite spots in the world—Mexico City. Unannounced and unplanned, Johnny hopes to return to the simplicity of playing his music in the genuine way he did so long ago, in small venues, to strangers, seeking to touch their hearts and, in turn, be touched.

Praying for lightning to strike, Johnny fights to fall in love with music again, to find that fresh intensity that once filled him with passion. To achieve this, he will let go of all of his own preconceptions of touring—no pressures of performance for shows, no worries about set ups, no concerns about ticket sales. Instead, he will just play when and where he feels like and see if anyone cares. If the muse remains absent, Johnny will face the hardest truth of his life: that his music no longer holds the answers and meaning it once so surely did. Seven Days in Mexico explores these issues as it follows Johnny on this deeply personal journey.

Though he is a musician, Johnny's journey is universal. At Seraph, we are honored to memorialize this process and help him leave a legacy.