A sense of purpose

I wrote on my Facebook wall that despite my best efforts to simply relax over the holidays, I'm working full steam on the scripts I'm writing and developing. There are four of them, each a different genre.

Research, story structure, character development, color palette, music - all the tasks of a writer/director for every project.

While I'm totally present in the company of people I'm around, as well as tending nearly 24/7 to my aged Pomeranian - 15 year old Mistletoe - as soon as I'm on my own? It's an instant fall into creative work mode.

One friend noted that my work might actually be relaxing for me (as much as it ignites my passion, it actually is very relaxing).

Another friend told me it must be wonderful to feel such a sense of purpose - and that rang the loudest bell.

Experiencing the sensation of fulfilling my purpose is probably the most rewarding aspect of anyone's work. And I can only say once again how grateful I am to be able to do what I love and lead a purpose-driven life.

I've actually pursued my filmmaking purpose for many years; my writing purpose much longer - but those purposes were accompanied by other necessary tasks and work I also loved that were at least related to my passion in order to pay the bills.

As I've said many times before, we who do this work (paid or not) do it because we have to. Because that is our purpose, even if there is the rare wish that we could simply have a steady job with steady hours and steady pay after yet another rejection of one sort or another.

Few of us ever receive much, if any, support (especially from family) while we're in the midst of the grist of studiously advancing our craft.

Sacrificing is part of the job description - the most important thing to learn is exactly what we're willing to give up in our pursuit, because there will always be the need to sacrifice something valuable as we lay it all on the line for our quest.

And nothing less than putting it all out there for the world to kick around will do.

But now for me there is a sense of completion, since I'm able to (like all other self-employed folks) work on what I love to do most nearly 24/7.

Even when we can kick back and relax if we wanted to.

There's that sense of purpose that drives us; a desire to get better and better, for me it's also a desire to put a lot of people to work, and I have to admit - even on the very worst day, it's way more fun than any other job I've ever had.

It's something I wish for everyone who is pursuing their art, their craft, their dream.