The Why behind our creating
I would like to encourage reflecting on “The Golden Circles of Why” to help creators when applying their craft. I believe we are all motivated to create a given piece or body of work for some purpose. It may be that we want to express an emotion we are feeling or a problem that we are trying to solve or enlist others to share empathy for or to take action.
The result may be shared joy, shared appreciation; it may be awareness and with that to feel discomfort or unease: it may be to observe or read about a character (a metaphor for the observer) of an arc, a transformation, will, strength or resilience through uncertainty or hardship. Or the unfortunate unresolved state—it may not be final, but left unresolved.
This may be a poem, novel, poster, short film; it may be a painting(s), graphic novel, graffiti, or installation or sculpture. It may be an advertisement, trying to motivate why someone should get this product or feeling. It might be a tool or furniture, something used every day, or a space where we live. There is a purpose, the reason for every curve, line, surface; everything and even the absence. Simplicity and negative space, passages where people move through or light encouraging life.
So consider when you are starting a new piece to note in the margins or the napkin what are you feeling and what do you want to express through this piece. What might be your help or aspiration. It may be a compass and reminder as you continue to refine or iterate, your piece.
Look for common themes in your work as well as of others. How might these be summarized as your artist statement?
An artist statement can be stating what inspires you and why in a broad sense, if you observe, themes or common concerns.
You might also summarize a statement for a body of work, a period or phase that you were working through with your pieces. These may change over time, as we ourselves all do.
This exercise can be helpful to verbalize to others when asked “why do you use this artistic medium?” Or “what do you want to do with your skills and talents?”
This exercise can also be practiced as an observer of others’ works—music, film, prose, art.
Do you feel any emotion from this experience?
What aspects of this piece(s) impact you and how? Is it the medium, the quality, the spoken or unspoken message?
This is art criticism or history, film or music critique or appreciation. Practice making your own observed notes first, make an opinion of what you see—why was this film, song, or painting done? How does it fit within a body of their work? Are there themes of characters or relationships or environments? What are clues? What may be missing or unsaid?
Why — underlying motivation & inspiration
How — the process, selection of medium, materials, characters, tools, instruments, etc
What — the song, film, story, painting, etc