Dear friend,
Where do you get your creative drive from? And why be creative?
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1. Why be creative?
First question: why be creative? In terms of… why as human beings we have creativity as part of our DNA to survive and thrive?
Then, what are the practical parts of having “creativity”?
2. What is “creativity”?
I define “creativity” as human ingenuity. It is the will to power (in Nietzsche’s words).
If humans didn’t have a will to improve their situation, we would all be still living in caves. No way would we be using the internet, traveling in planes, making art, and exploring.
3. Why make art?
Humans have always been making art since antiquity. Perhaps it was to understand natural phenomena.., or the “will of the gods” to better control our destiny. We thought if we could understand the gods, the supernatural—we would have better chances of survival, and to improve our life situation.
4. Even the gods strain to avoid boredom
Another theory: we started to make art because we were bored. Once we got the basics: food, water and heat (natural shelter, not freezing to death)— we needed something to occupy ourselves, to avoid dying of ennui (boredom).
5. Make art, or die.
So, the reason we make art is because we have a surplus of human ingenuity and creativity within our soul. We need to manifest this inner-creative drive somehow, and for us, that is making art.
6. You need surplus to make art
A theory: we cannot make really good art unless we have a surplus in life.
If we have a surplus of money, wealth, and enough resources to survive comfortably… we would rather expend our creative energy to make art (more fun and challenging), instead of trying to make more money (boring).
As humans, we have an inner drive to improve our situation in life … and we have this creative DNA in our veins. If we cannot express this creative drive within ourselves, we start to get angry. Pissed off. A pressure cooker with steam rattling your pot. You need to release that creative pressure— you need a creative outlet.
7. What is your creative outlet?
It can be photography, painting, drawing, dance, the art of conversation, poetry, rap, video, etc.
Regardless of who you are, you probably manifest your creative art in a unique way.
There is no “better” or worse form of creative or artistic expression. You just gotta find out what kind of art stimulates you to life. What kind of art brings your inner spirit and soul joy?
8. Why I love photography
For me, photography is my number one artistic and creative passion.
Why? It is easy. Simple. Accessible. Democratic. A passion I can pursue on my own, and a passion I can share with others.
For me, I have great fun and challenge shooting pictures. I love to frame a scene… to simplify a scene, to capture emotion, strong composition and form, and to embed my soul into my pictures. To me, making a picture is easy, but to make a truly blissful and masterful picture is near impossible… but that challenge for making really difficult pictures is what drives me to the next level… to keep challenging myself. To elevate myself and my photography onto the same level as the great masters of photography.
9. Never stop evolving as a visual artist
My ultimate ambition is to master photography for myself, and to keep pushing my limits. To never stop growing, evolving, and learning as a photographer and visual artist.
I believe in personal evolution, and creative evolution. Our lifespan is short, maybe 90-100 years at best (with modern medicine). Yet, I still think that is more than enough time for us to create personal masterpieces, and magnum opuses in our art.
Make great art. For yourself, for society, and for the human race— to drive the creative spirit throughout the future ages, eons, and far into the future.
Never stop soaring,
ERIC