Art is a worthy pastime, even if you don’t receive payment or recognition. There is value in creating art with the aim of simply observing things as they are, without bias or distortion, contributing to spontaneous enjoyment and self-awareness. The arts do not need a purpose beyond inspiring joy. Additionally, making art can be a viable way to earn a living.

Intrinsic motivation means having no incentive beyond the doing of the thing itself. Extrinsic motivation is the desire to gain a reward or avoid some punishment well described by the eight worldly dharmas—gain/loss, fame/shame, blame/praise, and pleasure/pain.

As we release extrinsic motivations, we can develop a stronger intrinsic motivation to create art for its own sake, enjoy the process, and view creativity as a practice of awareness.

We don’t need an extrinsic motive for making art—though most of the time, we act with multiple or mixed motivations. The habit of always wanting to gain something is exhausting—engaging in activities that offer no material benefit can be liberating and valuable.

Reflect on the emotions they experience as they create art for art’s sake rather than for exhibitionism. Alternately, reflect on the feeling in the body of doing something with no expectation of material gain or praise.

• When you create, can you let the voices of perfectionism, judgment, and desire just be?
• Can you observe thoughts and feelings without reacting to them as you engage with the materials artistically?
• What does your inner critic sound like?

Create art for intrinsic enjoyment rather than external validation, and analyze extrinsic motivations that can compromise authentic artistic expression.