Project WHY’s

I love working on creative projects.

I especially enjoy working with other talented individuals on creative projects. Most of my recent projects have not involved others. Because the creative energy of a group inspires me, I sometimes struggle to complete projects I’m doing alone.

If I’m to believe Simon Sinek, I run out of steam when working on some projects because they do not have a strong enough WHY. If this is the case, it should be simple to get these projects moving again. Right?

I’m not so sure.

Here’s an example.

I got the idea to write a screenplay about the brilliant theoretical physicist James Clerk Maxwell. To learn more about the man, I started reading The Man Who Changed Everything by Basil Mahon. It’s a good book that describes Maxwell’s life and introduces his work in physics.

The problem is that I don’t see a lot of drama in Maxwell’s life. Sure, some of his physics ideas were met with resistance. His mother died when he was eight years old. His father died when he was 25 years old. He married Katherine Mary Dewar a couple of years later. When he was 29, he got severely ill from smallpox. Then, James Clerk Maxwell died when he was 48 years old.

While these events could be portrayed dramatically, I’m missing a strong hook. I don’t know what story I could tell that honors his struggles as a man and celebrates his amazing work as a physicist. My initial WHY for this project lacks clarity.

I would have to dig deeper. What story do I want to tell? Is it a romance? Is it a mystery? Is it something else? Without answering these questions and others, I cannot articulate a compelling WHY for this project.

I still like the idea. I still want to explore what may be possible. And I still might. If I do, I’ll find my WHY along the way.