Yes, it’s possible to get what I want without doing a darned thing. Just sit around, thinking about nothing, doing nothing. A knock on the door, and there’s the guy with just that exact thing I need/want/crave! Possible? Yes. But not bloody likely.

Like this post. I really would, right at this moment, rather be asleep. It was a long and fulfilling week, with a killer weekend right behind it. And now I’m up too early because I have a schedule to keep. And part of that schedule is writing this post. Fortunately, it’s fairly quiet, even here in the big city, and I have a kitty on my lap to keep me warm. There are perks, after all.

For much of my life, I followed passions consistently, but serially. I’d have one idea, follow it with commitment and verve, and then realize that I was wrong; this wasn’t the thing which I’d be spending the rest of my life doing. And so I’d move on to the next thing, trying to find that task/way of being/set of experiences that would mean, “I have found IT.”

And I went through a bundle. Poetry, social justice politics, acting, and many more. Okay, I was never a religious evangelist. Or a career criminal. Or sought public office. Not because those aren’t necessarily worthy pursuits, but because I never found any passion in those directions (thankfully, for me). And when I pursued something and then found out it wasn’t what I was meant to be doing, I moved on to the next thing.

And so, I came back to film. Been makin’ ‘em since I was a kid, and now I see how amazing a path it is for me. I must make art – and what other art form allows you to write, direct, perform, create stunning visuals and sound, and physically build things? And I get to go places, meet cool people and shoot amazing stuff? None that I know of.

I’m 40, and I feel as if I’ve finally found “IT.” Only time will tell, of course…time and persistence.

What is “IT” for you?

Shake the foolish tree,

Ian Carruthers
Filmmaker
www.foolishtreefilms.com
Let’s make a movie!

Click here for Part 2 of this 3 Part Series – “Perspective.”

Click here for Part 3 of this 3 Part Series – “Passion.”