What is the purpose of making timeless art if you’re not going to be around to reap the benefits of your own efforts?

It seems most of us desire some form of glory and legacy, and I think this is a good thing.

But a question I’ve been ruminating in my mind:

What is the purpose of striving to make “timeless” or “great” photographs, to last indefinitely, if we’re not even going to be around to enjoy our glory?

Death

When we die, we cannot enjoy the glory we have achieved while we are alive.

Furthermore let us assume that you don’t become famous or “successful” in your own lifetime while you’re still alive. But let’s say you become famous after you die (Vincent van Gogh).

What’s the point/purpose/utility of being famous after you’re dead?

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Love of humanity / altruism

It then seems if you really are striving for everlasting glory (but you don’t believe in an afterlife, like the fields of Elysium), what is the purpose of making great works and artworks which will inspire and motivate future generations?

It seems the only logical explanation is that we have such a deep love of humanity (altruism) that we are willing to devote our own short lifespans to empower the future generations of humanity (to drive the entire human race forward).

Thinking “beyond yourself”

I believe in order to become selfless, you must become extremely selfish.

If you do not empower yourself to the fullest maximum/apex, how do you expect to empower others to their maximum?

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Never ending artistic productivity

The difficult thing about being an artist:

You can never predict which of your artworks will become “timeless” or “classic”

Furthermore,

Even if you do make an artwork that becomes a classic, that knwowldge that one (or a few) of your artworks are classic doesn’t bring you everlasting joy and bliss.

If anything, one of the downsides of being still alive and famous for your artwork is that you become trapped within a box; people praise you for your older works, never your new works.

Thus it seems the optimal strategy is this:

Don’t really care what others think of your artworks. Instead, strive to non-stop make artwork which impresses you, and share the artworks which you’ve created and love!

ERIC