Why Do You Create?
A Contemplation on The Creative Process
This short article is:
Excerpted & edited from the “Who I Am” page on my personal website
Food for heart > thought
WHY to > How to
questions I’m Asking Myself:
Why do I create?
Why am I starting this creative project/business/blog/vlog?
Why do I want to share more?
Why might I share more of my personal perspective in my professional story?
At the heart of my work is a sincere appreciation for the creative process…
I’ve always had an innate drive to create, and I believe Inspiration visits everyone. In fact, I believe the impulse to create lives inside every human being...
Ideas “come to us” (ALL)!
From where, exactly, they come—I don’t know… Exactly...
I just know that my own creative process is a partnership with those mysterious, magical, creative ethers. Where inspired muses seem to circle until finding a willing partner.
It’s up to each of us to take action on the ideas and inspirations that come our way.
We get to choose what/how/why we create.
We can choose to create as part of a regular, daily practice, and…
Practice creativity like we practice yoga or piano or painting.
Push/pull/take creative actions and work our creativity like a muscle.
Strengthen our weaknesses.
Repeat patterns to build expertise.
Stretch beyond what we believe is possible.
Or we can choose to create part-time, and….
Be a weekend creative warrior.
Make a little time and make a little space to make a little something.
Explore creative outlets for a few minutes each week.
We can even choose to not create anything at all (but where’s the fun in that)? ;)
“WHY I create” IS because I can’t help myself...
Human BEINGS are creative
Some humans will choose to only create more humans.
Some humans will choose to only create things for money.
And other humans might choose to create for the sake of creation (or curiosity), itself.
Sometimes, we choose to create for all those reasons at different times.
Because humans can’t help being creative; it’s part of who we are—like loving or breathing.
I share this notion with one of my favorite creative teachers, Elizabeth Gilbert, and she says…
“[Human Beings] are the making-ape. And no one is left out of the inheritance of that. That’s our shared human inheritance.”
It’s the idea that ALL human beings are creative, just by way of being human...
And we’re all being human in our own, unique way, every day.
THAT’s the very essence of our innate human artistry (and my personal “Why”).
We’re all experiencing and expressing very unique human lives. And whenever we start sharing ideas inspired by our unique lives and perspectives, we find our unique, creative voice...
We might even find a whole new reason WHY to create…