The Driving Force Behind Creativity

When what has been said is still not enough

This week I listened to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

While I don’t see myself as being a part of the author’s target audience, I still found some really cool insights while reading it.

In particular I loved this quote:

“What moves men of genius, or rather, what inspires their work, is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.” - Eugene Delacroix

When creating something, the driving force behind creation is the artists obsession with an idea that, in their eyes, hasn’t been fully explored. They can see what has been done in a subject and feel that there is still so much more to learn and share.

I think Hollow Knight is a great example of this. The metroidvania genre has been around forever. We already have brilliant and beautiful titles.

And yet, the creators of Hollow Knight said, “it’s still not enough.”

As a creator, I want to find this drive within myself. What do I obsess over? What areas do I feel still need to be explored? Where can more be said?

I propose that the answers to these questions will help direct your creativity. They will help you contribute to the right conversations, and through hard work, add meaningful dialog to what has already been said.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

If you enjoyed this post, consider sharing it with a friend:

If you’re new, consider subscribing for more gamedev thoughts and tips: