 The song 's music video was directed by Francis Lawrence and produced by Caleb Dewart of DNA Inc . The video deals directly with the lyrics ' theme of Stefani 's search for inspiration in songwriting . It opens with a lengthy non @-@ musical section in which Stefani arrives in Los Angeles off of No Doubt 's Rock Steady Tour . She receives several calls from Interscope label head Jimmy Iovine , who attempts to push her forward with her solo debut project , but she replies that she is tired and uninspired . After a failed studio attempt , Stefani sees a flyer advertising help for writer 's block . Upon arrival she is asked to fill out a suspicious questionnaire , where the camera pans to the questions which will be important . She is then told that she will be billed when she is finished . She asks for clarification only to discover that she is already back in the studio by herself . When Stefani picks up an oversized pocket watch from the piano , a rabbit knick @-@ knack that she had previously seen jumps across the room . She throws the watch at the knick @-@ knack , causing her to fall back on her chair and find herself transported to a fantasy world based on Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking @-@ Glass . 
