We can’t believe Girls is about to start its final season on February 12!

Since Lena Dunham’s first line in the first episode — “I’m the voice of my generation… or at least a voice of a generation” — she has become the face of a young feminist demographic.

But creating the show was an adventure in itself. As Lena told the Hollywood Reporter, “I wrote HBO this one sheet. It was like a tone poem about millennial life. It doesn’t mention a character, doesn’t mention a plot. ‘They’re everything, they’re nothing, they’re everywhere, they’re nowhere.’ I mean, it’s the worst pitch you’ve ever read — pretentious and horrifying — but I remember writing it, sitting on the floor listening to Tegan and Sara in my underwear, being like, ‘I’m a genius.’”

Executive Producer Judd Apatow chimed in: “I was given Tiny Furniture by my agents, and I loved it. The more I learned, the more shocking it became: how young Lena was, the fact that the budget was $50K. … So I sent her an email telling her how much I loved it, and I said, ‘If you want somebody to help screw up your career, give me a call.’… From the beginning, we were aware that what we were doing was sexually provocative, and that’s what made it interesting and new and fun. Lena wanted to reveal something that is normally hidden — so often you’re not talking about a giant part of most people’s lives because people don’t want to portray it on film — and that opened up tons of stories that you’re usually not able to tell. But then we had a scene with a conclusion shot …”

As far as what it was like wrapping up the last shot, Dunham said, “I looked up at the trees and smelled the air, and it was one of those moments where I was like, ‘I want to remember exactly what this was.’ Then Jenni called cut, and literally men in their 60s were weeping. It was really special, and since I hated both high school and college, I was like, ‘Oh, that must be what it felt like when people were sad.’”

Read Lena’s first pitch to HBO below, as well as Judd Apatow’s email to Lena. (Courtesy of Hollywood Reporter)