Werner Herzog on dreams…..

I’ve recently been watching a lot of films by and about the German Film maker, Werner Herzog. He’s more than a bit krazee but I find him quite inspiring.

Dreams can be a burden

Burden of Dreams covers the filming of one of Herzog’s most famous films, Fizcarraldo.  The film was created under enormously difficult circumstances, many of which were of the director’s own making.  In this clip, Herzog talks about why he cannot give up this project, no matter what happens.

I understand what Herzog is saying here.  To give up on a vision which is intertwined with the kind of person you want to be seems like an impossible step.  I cannot imagine giving up my business and going back to a proper job.

We all share dreams, but we do not all articulate them

We all have dreams, but Herzog reminds us that some people are better at realising them than others, be that starting our own company or dragging full sized paddle steamer over a hill deep in the rain forest.

I frequently meet people who want to start their own companies but don’t do this for reasons such as loss of income or lack of inspiration.  We share the same dream, but find it difficult to make the first step.  Perhaps the reason is they are too good at their current job.  As J K Rowling suggests, failure can be a great inspiration to do other things.