Perhaps that title may sound a bit ambitious? Like, how is this taoist nerd going to teach me how to make the Sonic Screwdriver of my dreams?
Well, I say that this is a place where we talk about design and every design has a couple of core elements that define the foundation for the entire process of its creation.
Say for example that you want to write a novel. You’ve got some compelling characters, a richly detailed setting, plenty of plot points and even some vivid scenes living rent-free in your head.
But if you add all of those things up, does the sum equal a complete novel? Nope. And how will you even add them up anyway?
More importantly: why are you writing the novel in the first place?
We live in an age of endless content, where we can scratch just about any itch by asking a half-baked, poorly-worded, riddled-with-typos question to Google Sensei, and sucking up whatever algorithmic wisdom it spits out. With the advent of AI, we’re practically drowning in cheap mass-produced entertainment, so why even write a book at all?
Because we are creative beings. It is in our nature. The process of creation helps us understand ourselves and enriches our lives by adding depth and meaning to our existence.
Furthermore: You are the unique intersection of all the things that YOU love, and also everything that you don’t. When you create for yourself, you birth your personal truth into being, and human beings love that shit.
So how do we make anything? The keys are in the process.
Step One: Why?
Understanding why you want to make something is absolutely crucial to getting it done. It is the fire that will fuel your entire creative process. When you are down and out, lacking inspiration, and feeling like crap (protip: you aren’t crap, drink some water and breathe deeply for a few minutes) your Why is a resource you can call on to remind yourself that your creation has a purpose.
So I want you to take a minute, right now, just one minute, to write down WHY you want to bring that beautiful idea from your head into the world. It does not need to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be a “good” reason. Just choose what first pops into your head, and write it down somewhere you can keep track of it.
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Great job. Nailed it.
Step Two: What?
Now here is perhaps the most important step. You’ve got to define WHAT it is that you are trying to create. Be specific, be vague, and be everything in between. Consider not only the content, but also the medium, the genre, the intended audience/recipient of your creation. Write it all down as it comes to you.
Now here’s the trick
As you’re defining your creation, you’ll start to notice something. Your WHY is directly informing your WHAT. The purpose of your creation is shaping the form that it will take. As you chisel away at this block with an open mind you’ll find that the WHAT can also reshape the WHY.
The more you understand one of these elements, the more you will understand the other.
This is a reciprocal cycle. These two core elements are the primal underpinning of your entire design, and they are totally mutable. You can shape them like Play-Doh, build them off of each other, or even burn them down and start from scratch.
That’s why I told you to write them imperfectly, without thinking too much. Leaving some space for your ideas to grow and evolve will cut so much stress out of your creative process. And as a bonus, you will be giving yourself some room to grow and evolve, too.
The Why refines the What; the What refines the Why.
The Artist refines the Art; the Art refines the Artist.
Now you’ve got a solid foundation for creation. Use this What/Why engine to kickstart you whenever you’re feeling stuck. It is the core of your creation. Every part of your creation will stem from that core, so if you hit an obstacle, look to your What/Why for solutions and insight. You can ask yourself:
Is this obstacle a result of straying too far from my What/Why?
If so, do I need to come back to the core, or change my What/Why?
How is this contributing to the core of what I’m trying to create?
How can I connect these pieces more deeply to my What/Why?
Is this Why filling me with purpose? Is it motivating me to continue?
If not, how can I change the Why so it IS motivating me and giving me purpose?
Does this What make sense? Does it fit with my Why?
If every part of your process is strongly connected to your What/Why core, your creation will be authentic, focused, and true to your intention. Find the disconnects, create ways to bridge the gap, and you’re golden, baby.
Now you know how to make anything! The rest is just details. 😉
The Feel-Good
Creation is growth, and growth is creation. That is why the creative process is so incredibly valuable to us. As we create, we are created. Our lives become more meaningful, and more uniquely ours. Suddenly we start finding more and more inspiration in ourselves, and our authentic creations naturally inspire others, too.
Plus, authenticity really sells in this age of mass production, if that’s what you’re after. People care about what’s real, not what is contrived.
Your creation probably won’t turn out as you originally planned, and that is totally rad. Let it have a life of its own! Give yourself the grace to let you and your creations change and evolve. And while you’re at it, give yourself some love for having the courage to create.
It’s what we were born to do.
Thank you, Chandler, that is so enlightening! Though I know creation is a personal growth tool, I had never seen quite as clearly as you states it. Writing brings me clarity but I had never really nailed the fact that it obviously changes me when things get clearer and yet, it does for it leads me to make new choices more aware of who I am and what my path is. Your post did bring me more clarity as well on my Whys which I thought I knew and yet something else clicked and my what are falling into place slowly. Thank you. Lots of love.