Why Your Why Matters In Your Art- Nancy Hillis, MD-The Artist’s Journey #theartistsjourney
Why Your Why Matters
To create your deepest work it’s important to become aware of the question of why your why matters in your art.
- What’s your big ‘Why’ for creating?
- Why is creating important to you?
- What motivates you to paint?
- What does it mean to you?
You could have many ‘whys’ or you could have a really big, juicy Why.
Your Why will carry you through and past resistance, difficulties, and disappointments that inevitably arise in creating art or anything else for that matter.
Your Why will help you stay focused on what matters and not squander your time on things that aren’t meaningful to you.
It’s about getting at meaning.
What makes you feel alive? What do you care about? Why do you create?
Begin to write down thoughts, images, dreams, and ideas that pop up for you when you ask yourself ‘what is my big Why?’.
You may not know right now and that’s ok. The important thing is to ask the question. As Rilke said: ‘live the questions’.
…and keep asking the question: what is my big Why?
Last week, I was interviewed on Instagram LIVE by Sandra Felemovicius and as we explored the intersections of creativity, science, art, psychology and mathematics, the question of Why came up. You can watch the interview HERE.
Mind Mapping
One way to get at meaning and your big Why is to create a mind map.
Place your name in the center of a sheet of paper or poster board. Now write down jobs you’ve had, activities you’ve been involved in, sports, music, things you’ve loved….and begin to look for patterns and common threads that weave through your life. This will give you clues as to what matters to you.
Mind Mapping As A Way Of Exploring Your Big ‘Why’ and Why Your Why Matters In Art
One artist I know created a mind map and noticed a theme of water, music, acoustics, and time threading through his life. He’s an elite swimmer (almost made the Olympics), built a sailboat by hand at age 16, has a sailboat now, plays the organ (the organ was originally called the Hydraulus, because it was powered by water compressing air) and now has an invention that detects water leaks.
He’s interested in composing music based on water sounds. The theme of time has threaded through his life in various forms: music is something that happens in time, swimming competitions are timed, and a fascination for rivers which like time flow in one direction.
Mind mapping is a powerful exploration that may help you find recurrent themes in your life and work.
You can get a taste of my online courses and workshops by registering for my FREE 7 Day Email Course: The Artist’s Journey: Creating Your Deepest Work by clicking HERE and registering.
I believe that holding onto your big Why is a potent way of cutting through resistance and creative block. Please share this post with your friends.
I look forward to hearing about your big Why for creating.
With love,
Nancy
This post ran previously. The question of your Big Why is an ever-evolving one. As Rilke said:
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything.
Rainer Maria Rilke
The Artist’s Journey Creativity Reflection Journal
P.S. If you’d like to explore your Why for creating further, you’ll love my newest creativity journal: The Artist’s Journey: Creativity Reflection Journal. Get your copy HERE.
Love this concept….mind mapping.
Nancy thanks for sharing, You are a wonderful teacher.
I recently registered for and began “Activating the Canvas”. I was immediately confronted with the big “Why” and had no answer. I still don’t but I’m getting closer. I love art, painting creating. But many times since I started years ago I found myself putting down the brush and saying this is silly. I’m terrible at it. Find something else to do. But I keep going back to it because it connects me spiritually/emotionally to life. Intuition is leading me to a more abstract approach to these connections and I believe this course will be the beginning of finding my way.
It’s hard to come by experienced people in this particular topic, but you sound like you know what you’re
talking about! Thanks
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Thank you. I appreciate your kind words.
Warmly,
Nancy
I want to sign up for this, but will not have time for it until the end of this month. Is it timed, or can I sign up and work on it latter, as I have time[I’m obligated to helping with a nightly church seminar]?
Hi Cheryl,
All my courses are self-paced. You can take them at your convenience.
Warmly,
Nancy
Because it is god speaking through me.
Wonderful!
Desde el primer día que ví un vídeo tuyo me di cuenta que sabes muy bien de lo que hablas, me gustó mucho el manejo de los materiales y la manera de usarlos para cada expresión, felicidades eres una gran instructora, abrazos.
Just adding the translation here: From the first day I saw a video of you I realized that you know very well what you are talking about, I really liked the handling of the materials and the way of using them for each expression, congratulations you are a great instructor, hugs.
To me, art is a form of communication. Wordless communication. Sometimes you just can’t convey a feeling or a visual feast with words 🙂 It is a way that I spread God’s love too <3