There are two obvious motives for most creative work. Love or money.
By love I mean willing something into existence for its own sake.
By money I mean money, status, fame, or applause.
One is about the work. The other about an outcome.
One is about craft. The other about performance.
Everyone has a bias toward one or the other. It’s not a 50/50 split by any means. Heck, people aren’t even consistent from project to project which side of the fence they are standing on.
But here’s a trick you can use to figure out your own intentions (or the intentions of others). Ask yourself this one simple question…
If I finish this project and nobody notices, am I still happy I made it?
Another way to say it is, if you play in front of no audience, do you still perform your whole show?
If you are there for an outcome, like money, applause, or recognition, you need an audience. But if you’re just there to play, who cares if anyone shows up?
I don’t think it matters what your motives are. It’s fine to be motivated by an external outcome and not care how you get there. It’s also fine to just want to play and ignore the outcomes.
What I find to be useful is understanding your own motives or the motives of the people around you.
For example, if I am doing something for the joy of it, and then someone I’m working with is all about the outcome, it won’t end well. There will be friction.
But if you and I are working with the same motive, it’s easier to make something great together.
Lately for me I find myself focused less on the outcome and more on the joy of the work. But before that I spent many years chasing outcomes.
There is a season for all things under the sun. Even love and money.
-Brian