Why do we create? Here is an answer... if you believe in God.
A while ago, David Haviland posted Creative Spark on redbubble which I was intrigued by and thought deserved a fuller explanation to the one I had given. I have just adjusted my answer with extra links to external sources.
“To be honest I do not know why I feel the urge to create, is it a deep seeded instinct…” DH
I wonder how people might go about answering this?
Hmmm…
I don’t know where you stand with your belief in the God of the bible, but you might be interested to know that in the story of Creation, mankind is made in God’s image ... God had just finished creating not just the world but the universe as well! (It is interesting to note that one of God’s titles is unsurprisingly: Creator !)
So… If mankind is made in God’s image , and God creates … it makes sense that mankind also likes to create… and as God was pleased with his creation, so we can also be pleased with our creations.
Ok, so you probably don’t believe in God, but just imagine you do, then this answer might ring true indeed…
You may however ask another question:
Why do some people feel that urge to create so much more intensely then others?
When we look at the people of the world, what do we see? We see many things including lots and lots of creative people in all nations and cultures. Amazing really!! (On a side note, look at the world around you, isn’t there an uncountable amount of created things? A good question for further discussion is: Why did God even have to create millions of plants, animals, colours?!)
The bible answers this question by saying that God has given different people different skills. Here are some examples:
- God gives a wonderful creative ability in carpentry and the like to Bezaleel and Aholiab ,
- the gift of public speaking to Aaron,
- tentmaking to Paul.
just to name a few.
Not every person has every skill… and God has given us some skills to benefit those around us and those around us skills to benefit us. We are gifts to each other, yet so often don’t realise this. This leads us to more discussions as to why we treat each other so badly.
In conclusion: (please note that this is if there is a God)
- Then it makes sense that we create as we reflect something of God’s image.
- People have been given different skills by God. We enjoy creating and some of our creative abilities benefit others.
Well, if you have made it this far thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think. If you don’t believe there is a God, how do you explain your creativity?
Pilgrim
For me creativity springs out of the heart of who we are. I think all people express this in some way. The journey is through creaivity to the Divinty beyond – which is also ultimatelly the Divinity of which we are a part.
Robert Knapman
I don’t believe in God. I used to though. Many years ago – or should I say the Christian God. Today I follow my instinct, my intuition and I try to follow my passion. That means sometimes doing absolutely nothig for months – just listening and…waiting. I’ve learnt theres a time for everything and although the sounds cliched it seems to be working for me – given also that one can’t do everything all at once anyway.
I believe we all create and desire to create – we are all, after all, constantly in the process of becoming other through change and that’s all about creation isn’t it – and that the variations on this theme are perhaps opportunity, motivation and / or need. Validation provided through audience is also fundamental. Could we therefore say a ‘real’ artist (if there is such a person) creates solely for themselves? Mmmm not sure.
I’ve known creative people those driven by fame, attention, acceptance or riches and others inspired by excitement, identity, energy, love, community and otheres growth, development and creative expression, others say they have no choice – that art is their raison d’etre. It is however a blessing to have the richness of multiple and accessible creative options from performance instalations to digital to hopscoth drawings on the footpath.
Personnally, I feel connected through being creative – deeply fulfiled, satisfied, linked with others and proud. I feel human. I’m not at all sure that it has anythign to do with God (how could it if I don’t believe in one) rather it has everything to do with creativity. God was an artist too – with God’s very own individual motivations. Does that make us Gods? Mmmmm.