作者探讨艺术创作的内在动机，认为创作主要源于个人好奇心和对自我想法的探索，而非外部认可。即使提供服务也出于个人兴趣，而非为他人的赞赏。作者通过提问“如果自己是世界上最后一个人，是否还会创作”来检验动机的纯粹性，强调自我驱动而非社会评价的重要性。

🎨 艺术创作的核心动机源于个人好奇心和对自我想法的探索，而非外部认可或他人的赞赏。创作过程主要满足自我探索和好奇心驱动的需求，而非为他人的欣赏或社会评价。

💡 即使看似无私的服务行为，其本质仍出于个人兴趣和内在驱动力，而非外部压力或对他人的讨好。作者认为，真正的创作动机应独立于社会反馈，即使无人见证或赞赏。

⏳ 作者提出“如果自己是世界上最后一个人，是否还会创作”的测试，以此检验动机的纯粹性。这一标准强调自我驱动而非社会评价的重要性，认为只有为自我而创作的行为才是最真实的。

🔄 创作动机的反思与自我认知过程，作者通过提问“我是否真的想这样做，还是仅仅喜欢它所代表的形象？”来区分自我认同驱动和外部评价驱动的行为，强调内在动机的优先性。

Musicians, photographers, writers, and artists of all sorts:

Would you make your art if you were the last person on earth?

For me, it’s an immediate YES — of course!In fact, it might make the experience even better.

A musician friend asked me this question, and was freaked out by my answer.She said she can’t even imagine a world-view like mine.How could I possibly want to make music if there was no one to hear it?

She said, “Ultimately, everything I do is for other people.”

I said, “Ultimately, everything I do is for myself.”

When I’m creating anything, I do it mostly for my own curiosity — to see how I can develop this fun idea in my head.Even when I’m providing a service that seems generous, I’m really doing it because it seemed like a fun system to build.If people like what I’ve made, that’s just a bonus.

This is related to yesterday’s post, “Travel without social praise”.Even despite what I’ve said here, I still have to ask myself if I’m doing something just for the praise.

Is this something I really want to do, or do I just like the image it represents?

If it feels like I’m doing it for the image, is that for my self-identity — how I see myself — the person I’d like to be for my own sake — or is it just being done for others?

One way I try to solve that question is by asking myself if I would do this thing if I was the last person on earth — or at very least, if I never told anyone about it.

(See also: “Announcing your plans makes you less motivated to accomplish them”.)