THE OYSTER AND THE PEARL: What Motivates Us To Create

By Ellen Joy Johnson

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what motivates us to create. I’ve been contemplating why some people can create works of great beauty under great duress. I’ve been wondering why sometimes you feel so motivated and other times you don’t want to do a thing. Recently, I’ve seen a tremendous amount of motivation for people to get involved in our government and creating new organizations and jobs. You’d think after all the disappointment and disillusionment that it would be just the opposite. Instead there is a renewal of energy and enthusiasm to create new ideas out of the old paradigms. Certainly the typical “struggling artist” is known for creating some of their most innovative work in turmoil when in better days their creations very often become mediocre or non-nonexistent.

So what is it about struggle that motivates and reaps its own rewards? And dare I even use that word “struggle” around a plethora of abundance seeking souls who have eliminated the word from their vocabularies? Perhaps it is in our negative view of the word that we find its hardships and not in what the word has to offer us in its deeper wisdom. I often think of nature and how life appears to struggle to perform a dance of beauty in the pushing of the soil, in the breaking out of an egg shell, as a web being tediously sown over and over, in a caterpillar weaving a cocoon coat, and in the irritation of the oyster to make a pearl. In our desire for the quick, drive-in “happy meal” society have we lost the concept of the value of toil bringing us to a superior level of creative craftsmanship? Or have we just become so complacent from sitting in front of media screens that we no longer can enjoy the challenge that life offers.

Maybe what we don’t realize is that our strife is what motivates us. The process of living life and experiencing the entire myriad of emotions from heartache, anxiety, love, fear, and passion.is what stimulates formative action. The truth is that the creation of beautiful songs, paintings, dances, books and so on, have occurred because of the realities of living in the world. Whether we are inspired by brilliant sunsets, flowers with mesmerizing aromas, the exhilaration of pleasure and the power of positive energy or the conflict of our surroundings, all of these are without a doubt a motivating force for creative endeavors. But instead of judging how we obtain our innovation and enthusiasm to create, let us acknowledge and embrace every bit of what is motivational and give birth to that which we express from each and every life experience.

We might discover that by accepting our life we will never lose our motivation to create. After all, our life may be our greatest creation. •

© 2009 Ellen Joy Johnson

About the Author | More by Ellen Joy Johnson
Ellen Joy Johnson has been inspiring people for many years to express their dreams. As a professional singer, recording artist, actress, songwriter, producer, writer, educator, publisher and entrepreneur she understands the importance of finding and focusing your inner creativity. Ellen has a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance, certification in Expressive Arts Therapy and has advanced training in Creativity Coaching with Eric Maisel. Ellen can be reached at: www.SoundCreativity.com or you can join her blog at discoveryourcreativity.blogspot.com.

02/14/09