From Poet to Dotcom Pioneer to Documentary Filmmaker

You may recognize Susan Polis Schutz as the author of heart-felt poems such as "To My Daughter, with Love, on the Important Things in Life" and "I Love You More than 'Love'" that have graced greeting cards and anthologies since the 1970s.

Or you may know her as co-founder of Blue Mountain Arts, the Boulder, Colo., greeting card company that capitalized on reprinting those poems. The company's online division, Bluemountainarts.com, became an early e-commerce hit before selling to Excite@Home for $780 million in cash and stock at the height of the internet boom.

But you may not know that of late, Schutz has taken her talents in a new direction. The 65-year-old writer is now a filmmaker of documentaries on such subjects as depression, coming out and following your dreams. Her latest, Over 90 and Loving It debuts this month and is scheduled to air on PBS stations around the country in March.

In an interview with SecondAct, Schutz talked about her new career as a filmmaker, the secrets of aging well, her battle with depression and her son Jared Schutz Polis, a U.S. Congressman from Colorado.

SA: You're most well-known for your poetry and for your greeting card company. How did you get into the documentary film business?
SPS: Making films is an extension of writing books, but more visual. My books, such as Depression and Back, are very personal. My films, such as The Misunderstood Epidemic: Depression, are about other people. With both, I try to help people better understand their feelings and let them know that they are not alone.

SA: What prompted your interest in doing a film about people over 90?
SPS: I went to a jazz concert in New York City where a 96-year-old man was playing the saxophone. I talked to him after the concert. It was his band, and he told me that they perform a concert every Friday. He was so alive and passionate. I wondered what his secret was to aging so well. I interviewed him and found out about many other over-90 people leading passionate, interesting lives. That is when I decided to make my film. Besides being interested in these fascinating people, I was hoping to discover and explain their wisdom and philosophy and pass this important information to other people.

SA: What surprised you most about the older people you met?
SPS: The commonality of their very positive attitudes. Their unwillingness to even discuss bad events in their lives. Their phenomenal passion for living life to the fullest. And how everyone, of any age, can learn so much about life from them.

SA: You've been very public about your struggle with depression, writing a book and making a film. How did the experience change you?
SPS: This experience, though quite difficult, made me a more compassionate person. I now understand mental health issues and wish to help those people suffering from depression or anxiety.

SA: What is your advice to people in their 40s, 50s or 60s dealing with depression?
SPS: Seek help from a professional. Tell your family and close friends about how you are feeling. Never be ashamed about your depression.

SA: You've been on the internet a long time. How plugged in are you now? What are your favorite apps?
SPS: I love my BlackBerry because I can have access to e-mail wherever I go. It is amazing to be able to communicate so easily. I have an iPad and an iPod. The only apps I have are my husband's learn-to-read website, Starfall.com, and the Kindle app.

SA: What's the most fun you've had as the mother of a Washington, D.C., politician?
SPS: Watching him help so many people is so wonderful. He is always fighting for equal rights for all people. One funny memory: [husband] Steve and I were in Washington, D.C., and planned to shadow Jared for a whole day. After literally running from his office, to a Rules Committee meeting, to the House floor, where Jared was going to give a speech, to another committee meeting, all within two hours, we didn't have the energy to continue following him. His 14-hour work schedule was way too tiring for his parents.

SA: Favorite book you read in 2010?
SPS: Journeys with the Black Dog, edited by Wigney, Eyers and Parker, and I reread Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman.

SA: Places you're planning to visit in 2011?
SPS: We just got back from Ecuador, where a group of people, including Steve and me, belong to an organization called Nature & Culture international. NCI is trying to save the rainforest in Ecuador. I'll be in New York City for a two-week trip soon.

SA: Parting thoughts?
SPS: I hope that my films and books make a difference in people's lives.