Why do you create?

[Grinner]

What compels you to pick up your sketchpad, guitar, paintbrush, computer, etc?

What do you see there? What do you hope to achieve?

[Thanqol]

What compels you to pick up your sketchpad, guitar, paintbrush, computer, etc?

What do you see there? What do you hope to achieve?

Spite, mostly.

[Ra_Va]

What compels you to pick up your sketchpad, guitar, paintbrush, computer, etc?

What do you see there? What do you hope to achieve?

Because there is nothing else I'm good at, and even that's debatable but I've been getting better.

[BeerMug Paladin]

A couple reasons. Wanting to see specific ideas realized that I don't see approached elsewhere in a satisfactory manner. For fun.

[VincentTakeda]

Why do we create? We are part of the universe. It is our fundamental nature. Some people create wealth, some create peace, some create strife, some create comfort, some create drama, some create art.

And each in turn is done for one reason.

To generate... I daresay 'create'... a feeling of satisfaction within oneself.

[SirKazum]

Knowing that this probably sounds trite, I like to create (mostly write, in my case) because I just can't not create. The ideas keep coming, and they need some outlet. It gnaws at me. I've spent long stretches without creating, or at least without writing anything down in a structured manner, and it hurts. It tortures me not to give my ideas life. I like thinking that the best (or at least the most fascinating) creative works are not labors of love, as the cliché goes, but labors of madness. And that's how it feels sometimes... a sort of compulsion that could land me in the nuthouse if it was centered around something less socially acceptable than writing.

Also, I suck at drawing, have no musical talent to speak of, and no resources to make movies, so I write :smalltongue:

[Toastkart]

To echo a few of the other folks here, I create because I have to. It's a drive, as strong as the drives for food, sleep, shelter, etc. I've been creating stories since I was a little kid running around in the woods with my brothers sword fighting with sticks.

There's been times where I've gone months without writing anything, but I never stop developing the stories that I'm working on.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Because I've spent so much time just watching and playing various media that I hope I can apply it to something, so I try to apply what I've learned in writing. I ain't a professional e-sports player. :smalltongue:

Because I hope to break the trend that if there isn't someone else making me do something, I end up quitting before I get good.


Wanting to see specific ideas realized that I don't see approached elsewhere in a satisfactory manner.

Also this. Kinda. If I actually try to rewrite the story I just end up comparing it to the original writers who are far more competent than I. My most successful writing attempt to date has a main character who at this point barely resembles the one she's based off of, and is set in a completely different world.

[BeerMug Paladin]

Also this. Kinda. If I actually try to rewrite the story I just end up comparing it to the original writers who are far more competent than I. My most successful writing attempt to date has a main character who at this point barely resembles the one she's based off of, and is set in a completely different world.

I understand that and sometimes I feel like I'd make a really great editor. It seems fairly easy to look at a work, point out something trivial to change that would make the concept better, and have just about everyone applaud the genius of that simple change.

It's another thing entirely to actually build a detailed setting with good characters and pull off that similar idea competently yourself. I think that's probably why a lot of people write fanfiction. It's a perfectly understandable shortcut, in a sense.

But I think I ought to clarify my original statement a little. When I create something, it might be inspired heavily by something else, but I don't typically create characters or stories with the idea of copying a favorite character.

Some similarities are undoubtedly going to happen (and I can think of similarities between stuff I like and stuff I've created), but it's never really a conscious choice to try and make a direct copy of a character or thing.

Although occasionally, I do get a weird urge to, say write Terminator fanfiction which correctly sequelizes Terminator 2. But then I shrug it off before long because I just know that the only one who would like it would be me.

[Bulldog Psion]

I can't not write. The ideas come into being in my mind, and rattle around in their more and more annoyingly until I let them out on paper. Well, okay, on word processing pages, but the principle is the same. :smallwink:

[SharpWolf]

Like the others said, it's a compulsion. I have so many ideas about so many things that I just have to get them out of my head. Writing, drawing, software development, they all allow me to express different facets of myself, whether it's emotional or intellectual.

I love it, too. There's nothing more satisfying than crafting a good story or a well-made program.

[Slayerofundead]

Because I can be both creator and destroyer. That and I get some inner peace from it.

[Windrave]

Because if I don't.. the pressure from all the ideas forming in my head will surely cause my skull to explode!

[The Bandicoot]

Knowing that this probably sounds trite, I like to create (mostly write, in my case) because I just can't not create. The ideas keep coming, and they need some outlet. It gnaws at me. I've spent long stretches without creating, or at least without writing anything down in a structured manner, and it hurts. It tortures me not to give my ideas life. I like thinking that the best (or at least the most fascinating) creative works are not labors of love, as the cliché goes, but labors of madness. And that's how it feels sometimes... a sort of compulsion that could land me in the nuthouse if it was centered around something less socially acceptable than writing.

Also, I suck at drawing, have no musical talent to speak of, and no resources to make movies, so I write :smalltongue:

I was going to make a post but it looks like my reasons already been posted.

[HellfireLover]

I create to let out the little voices in my head for some exercise. They drive me a bit bonkers otherwise.

[Cyber Punk]

Why do I create (make music/draw/write)? Mainly because I love what I do. I can't not create (it's been said by others too). When you create something, you feel more alive than ever.

That's also why I love weird sounds. I love experimenting with all the different sounds you can get by mangling and heavily processing a sound. Going where no man has gone before, or going where everyone is but in a way that what comes out is unique to you.

Creating... it's just... beautiful!

I should really get to drawing, though. I want to be the one to draw my characters (more for motivation reasons than anything else).