Why Are You Creating Your Art?

Many creatives have plenty of ideas for their pieces, and yet they never manage to use any of them. Their work staggers onward, leaning this way and then that way, lacking a vitally central, organizing, and motivating idea of what they are doing and why they are doing it. They create, not for well-understood reasons, but because they think they enjoy the work, hope to profit financially from their talent, and perhaps yearn for fame or respect. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for the average artist to realize that there are other enjoyable things to do, far easier and more reliable ways to earn an income, and that fame is quite elusive. Their work falls by the wayside.

Turns out, merely thinking, hoping, and yearning for creative success - when that vague idea of success is based on extrinsic reward - is not powerful enough in itself to create anything truly substantial. Artists fail because they lack a set of deep convictions, a philosophy, to guide their work and provide the powerful motivation necessary to keep moving forward.

Let's say that, in your mind, you were granted a clear vision for a potential artwork that would sincerely express the greatest essence of who you really feel you are, wouldn't you make it? If you had been suddenly struck with inspiration for a piece that you just intuitively knew would sufficiently and substantially translate how you deeply feel into a visual experience to share with the world, wouldn't you make it? What if you were struck with it like a lightning bolt, energizing you with an overwhelming electric current that could only be relieved through creating that very piece? What if it was a guarantee that, when you looked at this piece after you created it, the same feeling you were trying to express washed over you again, and you could say, "Yes, I feel that!" Wouldn't you make it?

The image I painted above is unrealistic; being granted a vivid image of such a powerfully fulfilling artwork in a sudden flash of brilliance is winning the lottery. But such ideas for such deeply resonating artworks do develop, and they occur much more frequently, and with much more consistency, when the artist has developed their artistic vision. This creative vision is the vehicle that drives the artist to ideas for such potently expressive artworks, passing half-baked ideas, what-ifs, and curious distractions on the roadside. It leads the artist toward creating the work that truly resonates with their inner being, embodying that which really dwells within them, satisfying their need for adequate self-expression. It bypasses externalities and distractions, such as creating artwork in the pursuit of financial reward, or modifying one's artistic style in light of another artists' work, whose images are much more popular.

Creative struggles have more to do with developing such a creative vision than actually creating the artwork itself. The reason many creatives don't create to their fullest capacity, is simply because their ideas for their works don't motivate them to do so! Unless you were incredibly obsessed as a child with paint-by-numbers, working to emulate another artist's work or style will not keep you committed to your own creative work when times inevitably get tough. And creating artwork to appeal to the market is not only unsatisfying, but difficult to accomplish and sustain. It's more research than expression.

It's best to get down to why you're creating in the first place, and reflect upon that. Pleasant work, money, and fame are usually ego goals borrowed from the society that surrounds us. We learn that these things are supposed to fulfill us, but most of us will learn that they don't. These things are not emotionally important enough to us, they lack the power to keep us creating when all extrinsic reward falls through (think of Van Gogh!) Our emotionally important ideas, our values and virtues, and our philosophies on life are what really matter to us. It is among those ideas that we find the motivation we need to keep moving, and from which we must develop our creative vision.

Is this all to say that artists shouldn't work for money; that being an artist isn't a viable career? Not in the least. When modern professional careers involve 50-60+ work hours per week, careers constitute lives. In America, we spend our lifetimes working, and most of my generation doesn't even think of the plausibility of retirement. When work is something that rarely makes anyone happy (at least not on a consistent basis,) you might as well choose work that fulfills you and provides a sense of purpose. To take up the occupation of an artist is to depend with all your life on creating your artwork. When there are so many other ways to earn a living, and often a much better living, choosing this occupation gives you all the more reason to discover motives aside from money. When Art is taken seriously, it can be a serious endeavor.

On the flip side, modern technology provides a platform for you to discover and connect with your audience, making it easier to garner success than ever before. As artists in this new period, we have the opportunity to allow our work to truly speak for itself, with a world that has open arms to merit, talent, and real passion. Will you take advantage of this opportunity to make a few dollars and a few friends, or will you see it for the power it has - an open microphone to the world - and dig deeply within for the voice and message you really want the world to hear?