Day 109: Reasons For Creating

There is something everyone feels called to do, something that is so ingrained in their bones they must strive after it. That thing differs from person to person, but it is there resting inside them. Sometimes it is obvious and other times it is not. In order to find meaning one must strive after this calling.

For me that something is creating. For as long as I can remember, I have been creating in some form or fashion. It began with dance, creating beauty with the movement of ones body. It came in the form of writing, transforming twenty-six letters into stories. And it comes in the form of photography, bending images to create fanciful worlds and characters that can communicate emotions and meaning.

Creating is part of me, it is something I have to do in order to feel complete. We all have that something inside of us, something that needs to be done in order for us to feel complete. We will never be happy until we strive after that something with everything inside of us.

But why? Why does that something matter so much? Why do I have to create? That is a question that indeed must be answered. That is a journey taken over time, the answer will come eventually and it will all begin to make sense. We must do that something for a very specific reason, however, that reason may not be as apparent as we would like it to be right now.

I have been on this journey for several years now, it began when I realized the reason I started photography would not carry me any further than it had. I needed to create my own reason for creating and not base it on someone else. That was the first step in building the why behind my something.

No matter what I am creating, I am now able to string the why along every avenue. From decorating my journal with mixed media to create fine art to dancing to writing blog posts. Whatever I am doing, I am able to infuse my why into that very thing. Once you find your why it does not matter what you are doing whether it be what you are passionate about or not, you can work it into everything.

Thus brings me to my why. Why do I feel the need to create? Simply put, connection. No matter what I am doing or creating I am seeking connection through it. I am strive to make a connection and do that in unique and beautiful ways.

In a more expanded version, I am seeking to create meaningful connection by evoking emotions and feelings within the other person. Through photography particularly, I do this by creating stories filled with meaning and emotion. I do this in the hopes of attracting the people who identify with such stories and feel connected to them. The viewer forms a meaningful connection with the image and the creator has a meaningful connection with the art. And so the crater and the viewer indirectly form a sort of connection.

Connections are one of the most beautiful things in the world. They create meaning in a life that would otherwise be relatively meaningless. They bring life into something that would otherwise be lifeless. They can form under the strangest conditions and in the most difficult places. I strive to create meaningful connections with the meaningful stories that I tell, either through photography, writing, dancing, or whatever I want to try my hand at.

We all have something inside of us that begs for attention, do not ignore it. It is a good indicator that we should focus some of our attention on that something. As you run after it search for the why. It will take a while to find it, but there will be a reason. Once you find that reason use it in other areas of your life and see how meaning blossoms out of everything you do.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt