My Motivation

"What is it that motivates you?"

It was a simple question. I was sitting in Lance's room two weeks ago preparing for SATO48 2011, and he tossed it out during an offhand break in our conversation. In less than a moment's pause, I spouted out my answer, ('money') and we both shared a brief laugh. Contextually, I was being truthful. The main reason I had elected to enter my 4th season of SATO48 was to get a little bit of cash on the side. I have cell phone bills, you see... But as Lance often does, he was speaking generally. What is it that motivates me? 

It was a simple question. ...What is it that motivates me?

motivate [verb] : to provide with the goal or object of a person's actions.

Why do I make movies? What is the goal? What's the object of my actions? What's my endgame? Where do I draw the finish line...and more importantly...how will I know that I've reached it?


I've been thinking about my answer to all of that recently. Sure, money is a bit of a motivator, but even if I had enough money to buy anything I wanted, I'd still spend my time in a studio. I like making movies. I like telling stories, sure, but I also get a feeling of accomplishment in putting things together. There's something wonderful about starting with an idea, and then nurturing that seed until it sprouts and becomes a full grown production. 

Is my motivation fame? Bah. Doubt it. There's no fame in making the things I make. Small time movies that have limited audiences don't make you famous, and I prefer the feeling of small towns, anyway. Also, I discovered at an early age that I'm unattractive...a trait which severely hampers thoughts of popularity in a child's mind. 

My motivation to make movies is two fold, I suppose: create amazing things from scratch, and tell interesting stories to anyone who will listen. Will it make me rich? Probably not. Will it make me famous? Not unless I want to be the poster child of TMZ. But will I be happy? You bet. And for now, that's enough.