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Create or die?
Creation is often celebrated as the lifeblood of human progress: the daring act of bringing something new into existence. Yet, for most it is an absolute exercise in futility, a Sisyphean endeavor that too often goes unnoticed, unrewarded, and unacknowledged.
Without the fortunate alignment of luck, connections, or a supportive network, creation can feel like screaming into the void, where brilliance fades into obscurity.
To create is to pour oneself into a vision, crafting meaning from the chaos of imagination. But the world does not guarantee recognition or appreciation for such efforts.
Success almost always hinges not on the merit of the work in itself but on external factors: a chance encounter, a well placed endorsement, or simply being in the right place at the right time. Without these, even the most groundbreaking ideas risk slipping into oblivion.
The futility of creation lies in its indifference to effort. Artists toil for years, entrepreneurs sacrifice everything, and thinkers challenge convention, only to face rejection or, worse, silence. The system rewards those who navigate its hidden pathways, built not on raw talent but on access, privilege, and opportunity.
For those excluded, the act of creation become a painful paradox: simultaneously essential for self-expression and seemingly pointless in the grander scheme.
And yet, people continue to create, driven by an unrelenting force within them. Even when it feels futile, the act itself provides a sense of purpose, a flicker of defiance against the crushing weight of indifference. To create is to fight against the despair of invisibility, to plant seeds in barren soil in the faint hope that someday, somehow, they might bloom.
"Create or die" is less a choice and more a haunting reality for many. It is the acknowledgment that creation is both a lifeline and a trap, an endless pursuit that will likely never yield its promised rewards. But for those who choose to create despite the odds, there is power in the act itself, a quiet rebellion against a world that so often refuses to see them.
Comments
@jo92346
Well said.
Very thoughtful and well written.
In my opinion creation is an artistic endeavor. I think of art as the process by which we create something novel that conveys emotions.
As artists, we love the process of creating.
That is why I still make music that probably very few or no one would ever listen to. It’s the creative process that hooks us.
That’s art.
If I may wax philosophical, Genesis tells us that "In the beginning, God created" and that "in the image of God, created He them". Therefore it is in our fundamental nature to create. That's how I view my creative acts - as reflections of that God image.
People have always created but recognition was not always the reward of creating. That's a more modern concept I think.
So creation is no futile even if indifference meet my efforts. Nobody as ever recognised my incredible Lego or Mecanos création as a child yet I am still creating. It is a way of life.
Viva la difference.
What’s wrong with being invisible? Or accepting the world’s indifference to one’s creative output? Not everyone makes that condition wrong at all, I think. We can change our minds. We can’t change the world. Why is it important?
There are other factors, I believe, which affect the creator’s beliefs and opinions about their own work. How he/she feels about the predicaments we are all in.
It’s possible a sensitive person will feel humanity’s multimillenial history of suffering more than the average guy.. Still, we all have it within ourselves. I think it often can hurt. Either from awareness or denial.
Exactly my thought. As David Bowie alluded, the moment the art is made to please an audience it stops being art. I’m paraphrasing.
It’s tough because a lot of creativity is performance but I find it’s so much better when it’s futile.
Bingo, it’s a personal journey, that could infect the body collective. OneAndAll.
You’re right there is nothing inherently wrong with being invisible, nor with accepting the world’s indifference to your creative work. Actually for some that acceptance can be liberating, like a way to remove the burden of external validation and focus on the process of creation itself. But that doesn’t mean it is right or satisfying or that it can work for anyone.
I think the act of creating (whether artistic, intellectual or practical) often occupies a unique place in human activity: one where a lot of people claim it doesn’t require recognition and should be pursued purely for its own sake. It’s a noble sentiment, but it often feels disingenuous, especially coming from those who already enjoy recognition in one form or another (not necessarily in the field of creation, and I’m also not finger pointing anyone). It feels a bit like the wealthy claiming that money doesn’t matter: a perspective afforded by their privileged position.
In almost every other human endeavor some form of recognition is expected and valued, whether it’s acknowledgment in relationships, a paycheck, validation in the workplace, appreciation for contributions to a community, a simple feedback that helps you improve or whatever else it can be. Positive or negative, recognition helps affirming the creator value and role within the collective. It is fundamental to how we can become better at creating, to how we connect and how we see ourselves within this collective.
Yet, when it comes to creation, there’s that pervasive expectation to be noble, poor, and rise above the need for validation. Creators are told that their work should exist for its own sake, that its importance lies in the process (which is true), not the reception. While I agreed just above that this mindset can be liberating, it can also dismiss the very human desire to feel seen and valued. If the is nothing inherently wrong in being invisible, there is also nothing inherently wrong in not being invisible. For those who labor in obscurity, it may feel like a dismissal of their struggle, a way to diminish the importance of their work by suggesting that recognition/feedback itself is trivial.
I think recognition matters because it links creation to the broader human story. It transforms the solitary act of making some shit into a shared experience, one that affirms connection, relevance, and meaning. To suggest that creators shouldn’t care about recognition is to ignore the essential role it plays in affirming their contributions. It isn’t about seeking fame or accolades or feeding the ego but about knowing that one’s work resonates: that it has reached someone, somewhere, and maybe made a small difference. Without that, the act of creating is just disconnected from the very world it seeks to engage with.
Are you perhaps familiar with Terror Management Theory? As Wikipedia summarises it:
“ Terror management theory (TMT) is both a social and evolutionary psychology theory originally proposed by Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, and Tom Pyszczynski and codified in their book The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life (2015). “
It proposes that a basic psychological conflict results from having a self-preservation instinct while realizing that death is inevitable and to some extent unpredictable. This conflict produces terror, which is managed through escapism and cultural beliefs that counter biological reality with more significant and enduring forms of meaning and value—basically countering the personal insignificance represented by death with the significance provided by symbolic culture.
Tl:dr - culture, and by extension all creative acts - literature, art, music, and even giving birth to the next generation - are our necessarily doomed attempt to achieve a symbolic immortality, to make meaning out the meaningless existential terror of our personal and very soon to be non-existence.
It is part of the reason why I so respect the ideas of ancient peoples like the Vikings, who valued the power of an individual’s name, and the sagas attached to it. They recognised that whilst a few legendary souls might make it to Valhalla the only ‘immortality’ a regular person could actually hope for here in Midgard was to be one of the earthly select whose name is recognised down the centuries, and that was something worth fighting for. And they weren’t wrong about that, were they? Ask Erik the Red. Or Beethoven, or Hildegard of Bingen.
We don’t create because we want to. We make because we must, before we are, individually, insignificantly, unmade entirely. We are as anonymous and as uncountable as grains of sand upon a beach. And the tide is coming in. And yet…
Lyricist Joe Darion who wrote these words and together with composer Mitch Leigh put them in the mouth of a delusional old fool known as Don Quixote, put it rather well, I think.
Create AND die. No matter how hopeless, reach for that unreachable star.
Cheer up. Manage that Terror. It will definitely happen.
On the other hand there’s something special about bidirectional way music can travel while it is performed live. I remember countless times the audience lifting the energy of my band to another level by being super responsive.
As with everything it’s a balance.
At the cost of sounding ultra cheesy I’d say: just be true to yourself but keep your eyes open on the world around you as it’s ultimately the world that mostly feeds creativity.
@jo92346 @Svetlovska Dammit. Dammit. Perfect.
Plenty of atheists and followers of other religions are creative people, so that doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny.
I thought it was a personal opinion, just because someone doesn’t believe in something doesn’t invalidate it, nor does belief validate something as truth.
I didn’t say it was anything but a personal opinion, but it still doesn’t stand up to scrutiny as a logical conclusion.
I will say that with all due respect, that's just a wee bit more theological than philosophical. ❤️ I mean that in the kindest way possible. The last thing we need here is another debate about religion/politics, despite how innocent your intentions were. So best to be cautious mate.
@LinearLineman No truer words have been spoken regarding creativity. It's in our blood.
Happy continued creation mate.
Great subject, very interesting to hear all your points of view.
I agree with Joseph on most points but then again it's a freaking enigma to me as well, why, doesn't the whole world know and, listen to Joseph Balson. I think you are awesome but my voice is unfortunately not heard.
Very well put!
.
Metaphor, people. Metaphor. It avoids fisking the theology.
Thanks. I try to be more mindful of my words these days and to seek a decent balance. 😅
You struck a good balance for sure, and we should be avoiding non-music subjects per the forum ground rules - definitely makes for smoother running threads.
Thanks to all. I certainly was not trying to start a religious debate. The key part of my statement was "how I view my creative acts" - was not trying to say my view is the only view or even the only "correct" view.
I agree. So back to the philosophy of the creation of music that Mike has began.
As far as I go, anytime I get more than 50 listens on SoundCloud, I'm happy. If less than that, it's whatever. I enjoy the process of creation and enjoy listening back to my recent creations.
I won't lie, I'm not a fan of most of my Ambient works from the Summer of 2022, but I'm enjoying the Ambient I'm working on right now. Shorter pieces, but nothing too short. Been listening a lot to Tangerine Dream's "Recurring Dreams" album.
For me, my creative process is "what goes in my ears usually comes out in my DAW". I finished my first piece in Cubasis 3, but it's very simple with only two layers. Going to try NS2 for the next piece as I work more fluidly in that.
Where was I? Ah yes, I used to release my EPs on BandCamp but never really brought in sales. Which is why I use SoundCloud to release my music. Got that Next/Pro/(insert buzzword here) subscription for unlimited uploads. And I figured "well, if nobody will buy my stuff, I'll just release to SoundCloud as it's easier for me personally to upload there".
I'm also a part of Label Radar, and I may get my music out there in front of record labels, but then if I scored a record deal, would I be pigeonholed into producing just one genre? I'm rather hesitant to put my stuff in front of record labels, not because I'm afraid of rejection or indifference but rather if I'm successful and would be pigeonholed into producing just one genre.
Fair enough mate. Just reminding people, not just you my friend, to be careful when touching upon subjects that refer to religious figures and such. 😊
I think venues that support a community are so helpful for creatives: open mics, YouTube and its online competitors like SoundCloud for audio, and this forum.
Positivity be feedback is likely the best motivator to create and more importantly, to share.
So many document here that their partners and close family did n’t understand the money we spend on gear and apps because they see art as a business and we can show a business plan they trust.
History is full of creatives that did not see positive feedback during their lifetimes but have been recognized as important in musical history.
Please provide positive support for music you see posted here. In can be essential for so many seeking an audience. They effort to give will pay dividends when you take the risk of sharing. There’s always something worth mentioning.
I guess if it’s a hobby, then there has to be a limited budget, whereas if you’re creativity is part of a paid profession, then it’s more of an investment into tools of your trade. Better tools, maybe a better return on the investment.
Personally my current music making is pure, selfless pleasure. Lots of fun making ridiculous noises. Zero income from it, lots of money spent on it, and almost no fans or listeners, so my pitch for a new Push 3 this week didn’t go down well with the mrs 🤪
When my wife says “another piece of equipment?!?” I say, “at least I don’t have a boat.”
Pls explain.
Definitely seems like it’s quite common, but I think in my case my wife eventually understood that it’s about how much enjoyment it brings to me, even if I don’t have an audience to play to.
Appreciation of what I do has become less important to me over time, but I’m always happy when anything I have created has brought pleasure to others.
I found some context for “fisking” that might help here.
‘fisking’, meaning the selection of evidence solely in order to bolster preconceptions and prejudices. Just as cardigans or mackintoshes are named after an inventive individual, so fisking derives from the work of Robert Fisk, the Middle East correspondent of the Independent, stationed these many years in Beirut.