The five basic motives for creativity

Creativity is a fundamental part of human existence.

But even though we may recognize it, we don’t often consciously follow its urges.

Creativity is like the wind: it’s invisible and elusive.

But at the same time, it can be powerful enough to move mountains.

Finding the balance between the logical and creative sides of our minds is a constant challenge.

Many of us aren’t exactly sure how creativity works — but there are a few driving forces that can help us understand why we create things and put them out into the world.

Often creativity is highly lauded as something supernatural, something above the ordinary human capacity.

Today I’m here to tell you that creative output is not this magical quality reserved only for a mystical tribe of humans, but something we are all capable of attaining.

I’ve laid out five basic motives for creativity in this article.

Being familiar with these forces will allow us to understand our creative potential, and enhance our imaginative outputs.

We’re more creative when we feel motivated primarily by social innovation, cultural expression, personal enjoyment, recognition, and commercial satisfaction of the work we produce.

These principal factors help to cultivate a deep involvement in our creative work and an undying passion for its development.

#1 Social innovation

Innovation means that you are working to solve a problem and using new ideas to do so.

Social innovation is the same thing, but it’s focused on solving problems that affect society as a whole, rather than just one person or company.

For example, if your company wants to make a new product or service, you can’t just create it without considering the impact it will have on other people.

You have to take into account how your product will be used by consumers and what impact that use might have on them (and their wallets).

When you’re innovating socially, you think about how your product or service will impact society as well as individuals within a society.

This means you’re more likely to come up with something truly innovative — something that solves a problem while also addressing other issues like environmental or social justice concerns.

#2 Cultural expression

Creativity is often thought of as something innate, something that we’re born with and can never really control.

But the truth is, our cultural environment plays a huge role in shaping our creativity.

Our experiences in childhood, our education, the things we read and see — all of these things shape our inner lives and give us the tools we need to create.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for artists to make connections between their personal lives and their work: Pablo Picasso famously said…

“Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.”

Meaning that he believed his paintings were driven by the need to destroy what came before them — they could not exist without destroying their predecessors.

So how does this apply to you?

Well, if you want to get better at creating things — whether it’s writing stories, designing websites, or crafting furniture — you should make sure your cultural environment supports your creativity.

That means reading books that inspire you, watching movies that make you feel like you can do anything (even if they’re totally unrealistic), listening to music that makes you want to dance around your room with no clothes on… basically anything that makes you feel like YOU!

And then use those feelings as fuel.

#3 Personal enjoyment

It’s true: if you’re not enjoying your own work, then you probably won’t be producing much of it.

That’s because our creative minds are just like any other muscle — they need to be exercised in order to grow strong and healthy.

When we work on things that we love, our brains get a boost of dopamine and endorphins which make us feel good about ourselves and about what we’re doing.

This makes us more likely to keep working on something until it’s done, rather than setting it aside when we get bored or frustrated with the process.

#4 Recognition

It can be hard to admit that we want recognition, especially when we’re so used to thinking that it’s all about the greater good, but there’s a reason why many creatives are obsessed with being famous.

It’s because it feels amazing to have people appreciate what we do and care about our work.

And it’s not just about being recognized by other people — it’s about being able to identify yourself as someone who cares deeply and passionately about your own work, as well.

When we feel like our work has been validated by others, it can be a really motivating force for creativity.

You might feel like: “Wow, if people think this is good enough to share with others… then maybe I’m good enough too!”

In turn, we feel motivated to keep creating more stuff and improving our craft until we finally become the best version of yourselves.

#5 Commercial satisfaction

Finally, a creative person is a consumer of products and services, just like anyone else.

The only difference is that we have the added pressure of providing these products and services to others, as well.

Because of this, it can be difficult to achieve commercial success while maintaining our integrity — we must make enough money to pay bills and support ourselves while also making something that somehow justifies our existence as creatives.

Commercial satisfaction is the result of a person being able to balance their creative output with what their audience wants.

It’s when we get paid enough for us to keep doing what we do without feeling like we need to make compromises on our work — or that we’re being exploited by someone else for profit.

Takeaway

Taken together, these five basic motives of creativity can be powerful tools for boosting our creative output.

Next time you’re feeling uninspired, use this list as a reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Whether it’s a short article, an ad campaign, a book, a new product, or a building — the attribution and insertion of the basic motives of creativity help to define the ideas we take from inception to completion.

Understanding these motives when called to create something to put out into the world helps to define the parameters for success for us and the audience who’ll ultimately come to know and love our work.