Finding Your ‘Why’

This week at work I ran across a TedTalk by Simon Sinek – “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.”

I had seen it before, but it resonated this time, both for my campus work and my art work.  He has developed a visual model focused on determining the ‘why’ for whatever you are attempting and letting everything else be driven by that ‘why’ rather than buy the ‘what’ you are trying to do.  After a similar post by Eric Rhoades earlier this spring, I’ve been thinking about this frequently.

If you paint, why?  What is your driving force?  It can’t be to sell paintings or get awards- those are ‘whats’- potential outcomes.  There are a lot of things you could be doing with your time and life – golfing, hiking, cooking, fitness, running a marathon, traveling, working- you get the drift.  So why painting? Or whatever your personal pursuit may be.  What is it that brings you back to it time after time.

For me, it can only be explained by gut passion.  When I am in painting mode, I see nature and people and architecture and light differently.  I am always looking.  I am continually entertained by the world around me.  I like the supplies- brushes, colors, surfaces.  I find this to be a perfect venue for curiosity.  I am never through learning.  I will never reach a point at which I’ve conquered the pursuit.  I meet great people.  I find it meditative.  Painting relieves stress.  

I paint because I need to.  If I had to throw each painting away at the end of the day, the doing of the work would be more than enough satisfaction.  That’s my why.  What’s yours?