Why understanding your Why will bring clarity to your creative work

And how you can figure it out

Having a strong emotional stake in the outcome of your actions is the secret to success.

Not discipline. Not willpower.

Before starting my creative journey and getting serious with my art, I didn’t know my Why. I was so focused on survival and stability, I didn’t take a moment to take a deep breath and sift through why I wanted to create.

When I hit a roadblock or burned out, I would go months — years — unable to create.

It wasn’t until I understood my Why did I develop a strong emotional attachment to creation, feeding the fires of my creativity. I gained direction. Clarity. And a foundation to build my home upon.

It’s a strong emotional connection to everyday actions that will keep you going and motivated even through the hard times.

It starts with having a vision

A Vision should define the life you want to live.

People make the mistake of asking how they can achieve their dream life when they never ask why they want that dream life. It all starts with why, and the Why is derived from what you want out of life.

Your Vision must be compelling to you.

No one else. Not your family. Not your friends.

You.

Imagine a life you find compelling and worth living. Don’t hold back. Get bombastic and delusional. Don’t be afraid to dream.

Then create a list of what you want.

I want ____ so I can ____

Once you have a list of what you want, a Vision of your future, you can start figuring out your Why.

An excellent template to help you in this process was first introduced to me in this video by Anna Howard. It goes something like this:

“I want ____ so I can ____ .”

From your list of wants, derived from your Vision, dive deeper into why you want the things you want. Here’s an example from myself:

• “I want to write fiction so I can write stories for lesbians.”

Then, ask why again.

• “I want to write stories for lesbians so I can see more stories about us by us“.

Keep on asking why until you find your Why, the emotional stake in the work that you are doing.

When the going gets tough, when you don’t feel like you can sit down and create, your Why will feed the embers.