Recently I stumbled into Start With Why by Simon Sinek at the library. It was highlighted as business management book, which I totally geek out about. I checked it out and have been reading since.
Watch this TED Talk about the same thing:
I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. Why do I do what I do? Filmmaking is hard work. It’s expensive, time consuming, and complicated. You have to really love it because it’s pretty challenging.
After much thought, here’s what I’ve concluded. I have posted it on my wall at home so I don’t forget it:
My deepest desire as a filmmaker is to tell stories that make this world a better place for all of us.
To some, the mission might sound broad. Too vague. Impossible. But it actually narrows my focus considerably and that’s very freeing.
Side note: That’s something I learned in improv. When a scene starts, it could be about anything in the world because it’s unscripted. Then you mime or verbalize specifics and — BOOM — this scene becomes about a very specific thing. The improvisers are then free to play with that and see what happens. It’s a lot of fun.
As a filmmaker, I want to narrow my focus to projects that make world a better place. I want to use my talents to tell interesting stories that educate and entertain. I want to make every decision really easy by knowing WHY I do what I do.
Why? Because life is short. I’m only here for a little while. The world can be a pretty dark and scary place. But as an eternal optimist, I believe that all of us have opportunities to make this world a better place if we want.
I want my films to be more than an on-screen experience. I want them to create movements that change the world. Because I genuinely think we can do that.
Call me crazy, huh?