What actually drives you to create?

[thel3tterm]

While working on my comic last night, I had a thought.

It basically amounted to "Why am I doing this? Its late, and I could be sleeping, reading, watching something, or playing video games instead."
That wasn't a discouraged, or cynical thought so much as a moment of self awareness.

Why WAS I doing something difficult at an ungodly hour?
Obviously it's fun a lot of fun, but it does tend to turn into work after some time. Unlike a bad show I don't just walk away from it when its not fun anymore.
There's not much money in this hobby, and if that was what I was after I'd probably pick something more lucrative.
It's also difficult to get noticed, and even in the absence of people to shove my poorly made drawings and story ideas in front of, I'd keep making them.
In times when I couldn't work on stories or comics, I've gotten depressed. If something happened to force me to quit this one, I'd quickly pick up another.

So why?
So what is it that makes us create?
Novels and comics are difficult hobbies, sometimes bordering on masochistic. We could be spending a lot more time doing something way easier, so why this?

As said, this is about introspection, not discouragement or cynicism. I'm just curious to hear if anyone else has thought about this too, or if anyone knows what 'drives' them to make stories.

[VixLix]

"Why do I do this at a late hour...? What makes me want to do this even though this is mentally and physically hurting me sometimes?" Yes, that's a very good question, good topic to talk about.

I am a creator, also, and from my speaking, I do this at a late hour a lot. Especially when I'm still in education. The thing is, we might not know it or feel it... but we love what we are doing. We might get about... ten views a month, but that doesn't stop us from doing it. I have a passion in what I love. I love writing Queen Luu. I wouldn't give it up because I don't have time for it- I do this for long, it doesn't pay off- NO. We don't do that. We are driven to draw or write because we love it. It makes us feel better inside.
Yes, we shouldn't be doing it at a late hour, but still. We can't help it. It's my passion to work hard and get maybe nothing out of it, because I love it. Heck, I'm grateful for even one view.

"Why this?"
My personal answer is a little thoughtful to me, but it's because I want to make people feel good. It's not everyday someone finds a new series they like. I want to bring back more romance, more action, more drama. I have the skill of writing, I've been making paper books since I was five. My novel is made to interest readers. I want something unique to give them.
I create/write everyday because I think of the readers. I love to write, so why not put the skill to advantage?

[TheDWrek83]

Personally.. because even after all these years I can't quit my OCs. I've tried. I've tried coming up with other characters, stories, nothing. I always end up coming back to that particular cast. I keep on coming up with new plots, random ideas, plopping them in to video games when you get to create a character from scratch, I make them.

I don't create to "make a name for myself" or "make a living" off of my art/comic (although admittedly, the commissions are nice ) ... as cliche as it might sound, I go through all this just to have fun drawing my OCs. Nothing too complicated on my end.

[TheGentleArtist]

Well, telling a story is what drives me...that and getting my dream job as an animator. I always drew since middle and high school, just creating something and letting it grow just makes me happy; especially when I share it. At some point I did stop drawing for awhile and it was pretty....meh for that time span until I started it and everything was feeling better.

A little backtrack to the story part; I would, and still am, thinking so many story/character ideas that I want to tell it and be known for it. Even if only a small group knows about me, it means something ^__^. Part of the reason why I started my current series, to test out how well: I can tell a story, my art can progress and I can be. My passion is there, just motivation is kinda fluctuating.

[AmazementComics]

What it boils down to personally is this: “knowing that creating our own stories will make US satisfied.”

It’s true that finding an audience is difficult. For me it gets discouraging because sometimes your “loyal” audience you come to find out, isn’t as loyal as you thought they were. People come and go when it comes to long-term commitments like these, and it gets to me sometimes. I think about when we first started posting here on Tapas back in 2017. We started posting here being naive. Personally, for us I thought we would have so many followers from the jump because what we were creating was as weird as it was entertaining. That reality was false. Albeit, people did stick around, and continue to do so. However, I look at my library and look through the series I’m subscribed to, and wonder why they get so many, likes, comments, and subscribers. Heck, I see some series that have the same type of art-style we use having 40-50 views per update, and sometimes we only get 30 (if we’re lucky). I don’t say all of this because I’m envious, not at all. I just think that not enough people give the cartoonish action genre on here a chance and learn to appreciate other people’s art-styles that aren’t always digital/anime inspired.

But we’ll still continue to create content. We’ve started an entire universe of comics I feel could truly turn into something greater in the long run. This parallels a lot of TV shows/games/movies that were praised by many, but just didn’t garner enough attention to keep going. All of us know a franchise like that, and it’s a real shame. But even if our comics aren’t vastly popular, or is considered a “hidden gem”, we’ll still continue to create content for those who actually like the characters and stories we produce. It’s all about perseverance at this point.

[Rhonder]

Obviously it's fun a lot of fun

The line of reasoning doesn't go much further past this, for me at least. I draw and make comics as a hobby because it's super fun~

Although I'm also the type who, if it starts to be less fun or if I just need one, I'll simply take a break- thankfully I have other hobbies to fill those times but I find that the drawing breaks never last too long. Sometimes it's not even a proper break, so much as it is just drawing much less and/or just random stuff and not for a particular project or reason like usual.

That said there are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors beyond that that help drive me.

For whatever reason I always come back to drawing comics specifically despite, imo, only being a so-so writer & storyteller. I honestly don't have a real explanation for this but it's been ingrained in me since childhood. Like I never considered myself much of a comic reader until middle school when I was introduced to manga but despite that when I look back at my old drawings from elementary school and prior I had already been drawing comics so... I guess that's just a thing.

Comics are also more fun in some ways than standalone art for me since I feel like they encourage you to draw a wide variety of things. It's always fresh and interesting when there are different locations, and props, and characters, and etc.

Extrinsically, despite that it's hard to really take off in popularity, it's relatively manageable to gather a small audience (even if it's just people you know or whatever- non-artists eat up even shoddy art irl xD) and man is positive feedback in any capacity a rush. I'm glad that I don't need it to thrive like some artists, as it can get unhealthy to fixate on, but... I'd be lying if I said I don't chase that high a little bit

[WoollyPAR]

I really just do it simply because I'm passionate about it. It's my dream. I constantly imagine stories and characters and I feel the need to get them all out there. I enjoy reading stories from other people and I want to write the stories I wish I could see exist. I want to live my life without regrets and I don't regret a single second of working on my stories. There's also a certain level of satisfaction I get from completing an artwork or an update that I don't get from anything else. I'm pleased to know that people enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy other people's stories. There are also important bits of wisdom I think need to be imparted onto others, and the best thing I can think of is to write something about it. I don't even care if my stories only appeal to a niche audience, I'll make what I want to make. It's kinda hard to fully explain my passion for creating without writing my entire autobiography, but you get the gist of it. I just know I'm driven to create by my passion for it and very little else. Creating is part of who I am and I'm proud of that.

[RyzaCobalion]

So why?

Let me answer that question with another question. XD Why not?

So what is it that makes us create?

Imagination and creativity.

Novels and comics are difficult hobbies, sometimes bordering on masochistic. We could be spending a lot more time doing something way easier, so why this?

Going back to my original answer. XD Why not? When you get an idea like making a comic or a novel sometimes you have to make it or jot down notes for it. Then probably spend about a few years about how to write stories or how to draw just to give you the advantage to draw your comic you see through it to the end. Like yeah the rewards are small. But see how many sub, like or even comment on your comic or novel gives you a little joy saying that all of your hard work really paid off.

[Dysis]

I've come too far to back down. Too far.

I wrote my story on the back of my question paper during my college entrance exams. Finished the whole exam in one hour just to write that darn idea down. Now I realize how frightening that was, because failing that exam would have ruined my career.

When I'd lost my cellphone, I stayed out late night alone in a foreign place, skipping my last bus home. Still remember the chills, not because I was alone but because I'd lost my freaking story stored in that phone.

I lost my 20/20 vision in two years just because I was addicted to writing down my ideas in my phone in the dead of the night.

So yeah, my story is not about my story anymore. It's about all the hard work, mad dedication and sacrifices I've made so far. If I drop it now, my life so far will have next to no meaning. That's why I can't stop. ^^

[Legendofgenii]

That's one huge question right there, M.

Pure passion!

... which can also mean to suffer and submit in Latin.

[R.n.P]

Comics are fun to make

[a.g.meade]

It's a question I've wondered about from time to time for sure.

I've always liked telling stories, even if the visual format is still very new to me. (My background is actually in writing, ha!) I think until fairly recently, it was more of a hobby. It wasn't until I lost everything a couple of years ago that I understood that storytelling is the core passion of my life.

But I don't really know what it is that drives me to create - it's just... something I kind of have to do, if that makes any sense. And, of course, it's just fun and gratifying, and I love to do it.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

Sadness and existential angst.
I wanted to make a legacy, I wanted to proved I am worthy of existing. It is inherent for people to create and do something in their life, right.

Right now I am buried, my worth as a person is 1/7.5 billion at most. I just want to release the innate desire in any of us to create, although I have not come to peace is my creation worth something.

[joannekwan]

For me that feeling usually comes about when I see a piece of media
I either go "This is okay … but I'd enjoy this so much more if I did it my way!"
or "I really like this! But what if such and such happened or if this and that were different?"

Basically it's just my need to put my own spin on things seen in other media.

On a more micro-level, like why I push myself to work on something way past my bedtime, it's because I wanna finish it! Or get as much done before I forget or because I'm on a roll.

[Kelheor]

Pure spite
The feeling of achievement and the process of becoming better. Art is the only thing I ever felt being good at. Art made me feel inspired... and kind of special, I guess. From the moment I watched that first episode of Sailor Moon there was only one real thought "You can create worlds and do things in them". So I created characters and drew them.
Never in my life I wanted to achieve anything; but becoming better at drawing, seeing my characters becoming closer to how I imagine them, seeing how I can actually do new things (even if I am bad in them...damn backgrounds) is the greatest feeling ever.
I didn't became a good world creator (I lack imagination), but I have my characters, I have a writer who creates the most interesting worlds and I create characters for them, and I. Can. Draw. It. All.

[Chita]

Can relate to that first question. Yesterday I did some uni work after dinner and then I kept working on a comic page afterwards. Once you stop to think about it the situation seems strange, why didn't I just go to sleep early for once? XD

For me the main reason is that I love the craft. I love stories, I'm addicted to them. On top of that I absolutely adore visual storytelling and secuential art. I just can't listen to a song without imagining a scene that would play along with it. Even now a days I have problems sometimes with making ilustrations cause there's so much more that I couldn't fit in just a snapshot of a scene. And once I have a short scene I start to wonder "what happened before? And after that?" and I start rolling down in a vortex of ideas XD
I have a story myself for the need to pouring out all that wonder into a real work, making a story that only I can create. That is the real power

(Also I'm absolutely in love with creating characters and developing stories for them. I can't stop, help me XD)

[Chita]

You took the words out of my mouth. That's exactly the feeling

[BeautifulDoubt]

haha all artists seem to put themselves out for their craft ^^;
Our hearts are burning with stories to tell and by god we will tell them.

Alot of my personal drives comes from when i see people react to my stories and characters like i do. "UWAH! I LOVE THEM!" "OOOO THEYRE GONNA KISS!" it chuffs me in a way thats similar to a hard drug feeling (I would assume as i have never done them XD)
I'm in love with giving people parts of myself that they can adore. Something they can use to feel better even if its just alil.
Its a way for someone like me who rarely leaves the house to connect with people all over the world of many colors and cultures whom I would never connect with otherwise and when i think about that it feels special to me.

and yes of course I want to make it my job, but the real thing i love is to bring these people to life, and give them to others, and maybe inspire or motivate...their own worlds <3 that would be dope.

[shfra13]

I love creating ideas in my mind, and I love channeling them into my writing--the only way I could do. I feel like that's the only thing I could do. There's nothing more to my life that feels fulfilling, and there's only a small number of things that I wholeheartedly enjoy--writing being one of them. So, I decided to write. Just, write. Because I enjoy it, and I find it fulfilling to have people read my story--even if it's only one person or two people. At least, I don't feel lonely when I'm writing, or when I'm publishing my crappy writing and have someone liking or commenting. That's--kind of the only thing that keeps me going.

[CarltonIsaac]