Why Do We Create?
If you are a creative person, then you know that creativity is not something you choose—it chooses you. Creativity, ideas, are thrust upon us. We are compelled by what feels like a force outside of ourselves, at least outside of our conscious mind, to create. All of a sudden, like lightning reigning down from the gods, we are struck with an idea. We hear a song, or a lyric. We have a vision. A story comes to mind to express an emotion or truth. The solution to a previously unsolvable problem becomes apparent. What once seemed like random events or occurrences suddenly piece together like some divine puzzle. It is instantaneous and feels neither willed by us nor within our control. So, what is it?
The truth is, we don’t know. The field of neurobiology has made tremendous progress in recent years when it comes to monitoring the brain and tracking what parts of our brain are active during certain cognitive experiences, but scientists still cannot explain where the imagination and original ideas come from. However, just because we do not fully understand the science behind imagination and creativity does not mean that we cannot know how to use these gifts in our daily lives, and how they relate to our life purpose.
If there is one thing that nobody else can replicate, if there is one thing entirely unique to you, it is most definitely your thoughts.
By definition, your life purpose must be something that only you can accomplish. It has to be unique to you because otherwise it would not be your life purpose (i.e., anyone could do it). Well, what is more unique to you than your imagination and original creative ideas? If there is one thing that nobody else can replicate, if there is one thing entirely unique to you, it is most definitely your thoughts. This means that your life purpose is intrinsically tied to your creativity and the original ideas generated by your imagination. Here, “creativity” is defined as producing ideas that are both original and that have some value, which is the definition most used in psychology (so, the random purple spotted elephant you are imagining might not count, unless it has some meaning or value to convey). Therefore, if you are a creative, in which case you have original ideas of value, then your life purpose must be lived through your creative expression of those ideas because there is nothing more unique of value that you can provide to this world.
There are many forms of creative expression, and our natural abilities tend to lead us towards one or more of those forms. What is important to keep in mind, however, is that the form of creative expression is not “why” we create; rather, it is “how” we create. If you are an artist, then your ideas naturally flow through some artistic expression, such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, or poetry, etc. If you are an entrepreneur, your creativity may be expressed by creating industry innovations and companies that offer something of value. Inventors express their ideas through designing and building new things, while mathematicians might speak through equations. Every form of creativity has its own language.
“Why” we create is a different story. If you are truly born capable of offering something to the world that no other individual can offer, this purpose (or capability) must relate to your nature, as opposed to the societal circumstances and influences you were born into. Yes, your nature evolves through your life circumstances (i.e., nurture), but there was something there before any influence entered your life. There was some pure potential the split second before you were introduced into this world. Think of it like the “Big Bang.” Whatever existed before life began embodies your purpose and then, bang, you are born and your nature unfolds into the chaos of life circumstances, learning, etc., that is your “nurture.” At Spotlight, we refer to this beginning as your “soul source,” that single and unique point from which your creativity (and, therefore, life purpose) emanates.
The problem, of course, is that it is impossible to know who you are in a society-less vacuum, and so your “soul source” becomes a moving target you must connect the dots of your life to identify. Here are a few of those dots:
1. Your natural abilities/talents. If your purpose is engrained in your nature, then looking at your natural talents is a good place to start.
2. Your passions. Similar to your talents, pursuing what you are naturally interested in or passionate about is another obvious lead.
3. Your key life moments and lessons. Your creativity, your life purpose, will be woven throughout your life experiences. That is, your nature lives through your nurture. Looking back at key life moments and understanding why those moments were important, what they meant to you, how you felt and what you thought through those experiences, etc., will all provide clues as to your soul source.
4. Thinking beyond society. When looking at your life, try to see it through the lens of the human experience outside of society. For example, you might love building cars, but your “soul source” cannot be that specific because what if you were born into a society without cars? Your nature does not know the nurture you are going to be born into, and so your “soul source,” while experienced through that nurture, cannot be specifically linked to it. Your passion and talent for building cars, however, may be an indication that building things or making humanity more efficient are a component of your soul source.
5. Think infinite. Your “soul source” cannot stem from an idea or purpose that can be solved or completed. For example, someone may believe that creating the solution to world hunger is their purpose in life. The problem is that world hunger is potentially a solvable problem. Your soul source must stem from some aspect of humanity that is ongoing. Creating a solution to “human suffering,” for example, could work because, as I think most philosophers would agree, suffering is forever part of human life and exists regardless of our circumstances.
6. Trust your intuition. Your soul source is part of you. Deep down you know what it is, you can feel it. Not to go too deep, but in actuality your soul source cannot be expressed in words because the words and language we use are prone to the biases of nurture. This is another reason that your soul source is a moving target. So, get to know yourself and what you feel. Spend some time alone trying to identify that invisible force behind your creativity. Imagine it. Describe it. Draw it. Do whatever you can to try to give it definition.
So, why do we create? We create because that is what we do as a species. We create because we have to create. We create to express the novel ideas that live inside of us, that are unique to who we are, and which add a value to the world that only we can provide. We create because it is our life purpose.
