Must everything that is said or done mean something, as in serve a predetermined purpose?
Can't I just speak for the sake of speaking or do for the sake of doing?
A sense of purpose is usually centred around doing something that's meaningful or at least driven by our fear of insignificance.
I sometimes have a hard time asking what's the point of living (as a general example), when the point itself could be entirely self-constructed or put differently, may not need to exist at all.
They say life is what we make out of it, which experientially seems true.
This opens up a whole can of worms, so to speak, on whether we're truly free or just think we are.
As a creator, whenever you face a blank canvas, a sense of overwhelm washes over you because anything could emerge, especially if you're someone who believes every mark should matter.
From a macro level, every creation seems to mean something from our human need to contextualize everything within some greater framework.
Even this small yet deadly mosquito does serve some ecological function that I personally may not be aware of.
On a micro level, our individual creations don't always need to justify their impulses. It's just not that deep.
We create for the simple pleasure of making something that wasn't there before.
Or if you're more like me, it's for the rhythm of hands moving and thoughts flowing.
There's sometimes this pent-up energy on my hands that just needs releasing through the simple, unburdened act of making.
The Flip Side Of Finding Your Why
Though I'm not so sure if the human brain is truly wired to accept purposeless creation, given its relentless drive to seek patterns and meaning.
Speaking of which, could purposeless creation be a radical act of rebellion against the constant demand for purpose-driven living?
I think the internal conflict between creating for meaning and creating for its own sake mostly arises because we've been conditioned to view all action through the lens of utility or consequence.
Why did you draw that? What's it for?
When a child builds a tower of blocks, they aren't usually thinking about its structural integrity for future load-bearing, or its eventual market value.
A casual conversation could spark an idea for someone else to explore further, and that could then lead to unexpected discoveries or connections.
The ripple effect of pure expression, without a forced intent, is always more profound than any meticulously planned outcome.
It's the difference between planting a seed with the specific goal of harvesting a single fruit, and simply casting seeds to the wind, trusting that some will find fertile ground and flourish in unexpected ways.
The "meaning" on this approach/pov, emerges from the organic interaction with the world and not solely from the creator's initial intent.
As in, to create without really creating.
Light a match and the fire will take care of the rest.
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