Oh ye author...what motivates thou?

As a follow-up to my last blog topic about inspiration and muse, my discussion (or more like pondering) today is on motivation. What motivates writers/authors to write? What drives us to keep pushing, and keep writing, even when we know that writing is such hard work, slow to be rewarded, easy to tire of, quick to put behind. What drives us? 

Why do we stay awake thinking about our next topic, plot, chapter, epilogue, and so on..biting off the heads of our pencils, filling our brain with strong caffeine, putting ourselves through emotional strains just so we can get it right and get it out...why?

What motivates me to write? Is it because i want to be famous? Do I want to leave the world with something to remember me by? Why do I write? What pushes me? Am I trying to prove something to someone? To others? 

Perhaps i am doing this so i can be acknowledged by the world, be seen as smart, intelligent, a genius even. Maybe I'm trying to prove to my other self that tries to tell me that I’m not smart enough, you know, that inner critic that exists within us all? No? is it just within me?

Over time I've come to understand what motivates me to write, and to keep at it: first is, my love for writing, and second - my desire to share.

Writing for me is more than just writing, It's a work out session, a therapy session, a hobby play out, an extra-curricular activity, as well as a job. As a work out session it energizes me; as a therapy session it relieves all the stress i may be embodying; as a hobby it makes me happy and playful; as an extra-curricular activity it keeps me occupied and busy, and as a job it keeps me grounded, focused, efficient, diligent and disciplined. This is why i write. This is what pushes me. 

With the desire to share, my motivation lies in giving the world an opportunity to see things a little differently; perhaps it may not be the best perception, but it’s a different perspective nonetheless. My motivation lies in wanting to share a little of the knowledge I have gained from people, things, nature and events around me, wondering if everyone around me knows the same, sees the same, feels the same as I. This is my second biggest motivation: to share with others what I know. 

 
Ofcourse, every writer's dream is to be heard/read, acknowledged, and to become famous...I’d most definitely love for everyone to love my work, to approve, to give nods of approval, but above all that, my satisfaction lies in that I have written what I believe needed to be written, and I have published what needed to be seen. Therein lies the source of my peace...i write, therefore i am. 

'Til next time... 

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