So… Why not be great?

I have a plaque in my office with a simple message - "When you feel like quitting, think about why you started."

So when I pick up the file I have been working on the past five years titled, "Flyers", I sometimes feel like quitting. After all, what could I possibly know about producing a major motion picture? And why would anyone want to pay to see a story about the Wright Brothers invention of the airplane anyway?

In September 2010, I was inspired to begin a project to produce a film about the Wright Brothers. Three elements contributed to my inspiration. First, I have always been fascinated with the history of these inventors who shared my family name. Second, my uncle Neil Paterson won the Academy Award for screenwriting the picture "Room at The Top" in 1959. And third, I am a lifelong film buff (okay, maybe not lifelong… probably didn't see my first film until I was about eight years of age… I think it may have been "Lassie Come Home").

I've traveled to Kitty Hawk, Dayton, Huffman Prairie, The Smithsonian and The Henry Ford in Dearborn researching the story on the ground and have read the majority of books about the Wright Brothers. I travelled to Hollywood to meet with representatives of major studios and met with directors and screenwriters in an effort to find someone who shares my passion for the project.

I have found a tie between Bill Gates and the wonderful story of the Wright accomplishment and discovered many links to other notable, successful individuals who are mesmerized by the sheer perseverance and creativity employed by two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio.

And still no collaborators.

Yet.

That's the great thing about having a dream. You get to feel like quitting, and then you get to think about why you started.

And you get to ask -

Why not be great?