Lesson #1: Don’t Deny Your Passion

“My first six years in the business were hopeless,” said Lucas. “There are a lot of times when you sit and you say ‘Why am I doing this? I’ll never make it. It’s just not going to happen. I should go out and get a real job and try to survive’.”

What made Lucas persevere to become one of the most well known and financially successful filmmakers of our times? Passion. Once Lucas discovered his love of filmmaking, he knew he could not have been as successful in any other industry.

“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you.” Otherwise, says Lucas, “you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.”

Lucas knew he never wanted to take over his father’s office supply store, nor did he ever think of himself as a businessman. From the moment he enrolled in the reputable USC film school, he knew his life had been meant for film. “Once I started in that department, I found what it was that I loved and was good at,” said Lucas. “And I realized I could do it very well, and that I enjoyed doing it. It really ignited a passion in me, and it took off from there.”

Lucas acknowledges that he was lucky to have discovered his love for filmmaking at such a young age, allowing him to begin working toward his goals early on and generate the impressive life-long career that he can now boast of. “I’m extremely grateful that I discovered my passion. I love movies. I love to watch them, I love to make them.” It was his passion for film that earned him the reputation at USC for always finishing a movie well ahead of schedule.

Lucas describes a typical day of filming as beginning at 4 a.m. and not finishing until at least 10 or 11 p.m., with the cycle repeating itself daily. “It’s hard work making movies…if you don’t really love it, then it ain’t worth it.” His intense passion for his work is what leads him to be a perfectionist, involved in even the minutest detail of his films.

Believing that everyone has a talent and a passion, Lucas says, “It’s just a matter of moving around until you’ve discovered what it is.” But, the search is a crucial one, for without that passion, your work will suffer.

It is only his passion that has kept Lucas coming back with one successful project after another. “I’m lucky enough that there is never a blank canvas in front of me…I have hundreds of projects that I want to do but I am running out of time.”

Whether it was racing cars or creating films, Lucas devoted himself wholeheartedly to those things that he was most passionate about. And, it was for that reason that he was able to generate such success.

Lesson #1: Don’t Deny Your Passion

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | Post | Republish | More

Related Articles
Lesson #5: Follow Your Passion
	“The only time I’m totally happy is when I’m watching films or making them,” says Spielberg.
Lesson #2: The Path to Success is to Pursue Your Passion
	“I was just pursuing what I enjoyed doing. I mean, I was pursuing my passion,” says Omidyar. “It is not really work if you are having fun…that was the case with me.”
What is Passion
	Entrepreneurs and many others continually pursue understanding and explaining passion. This illusive thing is recognized for driving many individuals to attain the unattainable. Possibly, a different perspective on ...
The Art of Passion
	I was moved to write another manifesto on the nature of Dreaming in relationship with Passion.
For Sale: Most Expensive VC Home in Country
	Here's one way to sidestep having to raise money from LPs: Sell your house for $76-million.

---

Related Forum Posts
	Re: Setting Up your Advisory Board - Steps 8
	Re: Due Diligence, Market Research.. Ahead of the curve.
	Dan Kennedy Marketing Methods
	Re: Women entrepreneur millionaires
	vision to Success
	Book: Work With Passion
	Setting Up your Advisory Board - Steps 7 & 8
	Re: Businesswomen in the news