What motivates artists?

I speak a lot. I write a lot. I have been in entrepreneurial endeavors for the longest time. When it comes to art though, I appreciate it, but draw a straight line, even with the help of a ruler, I cannot.

But I like colors, I like paintings. I like going to museums to appreciate the works of the masters. And I’ve always wondered: “What motivates painters to paint?”

Maybe painters and other artists ask the same question about speakers and writers. What motivates a speaker to speak, or a writer to write?

Do speakers speak for money? Of course they do. But the fulfillment a speaker gets from speaking is not always correlated to the professional fee he gets.

Do writers write for the money? I don’t think so. You cannot make a lot of money just writing in this country. This is why most writers I know do a lot of income-generating activities on the side.

When artists and writers are asked to do paid work, the motivation and happiness may not be in the pay alone. Rational, left-brained, analytical and logical thinking business people could never understand this. I do, but I couldn’t quite put a finger on how to explain this until I came across Daniel Pink’s book early this year. Then it all made sense.

Pink says: “A study of artists over a long period shows that a concern for outside rewards might actually hinder eventual success.” He supports his view with an actual case.

In the early 1960s, researchers surveyed sophomores and juniors at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago about their attitudes toward work, and whether they were more intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Using these data as a benchmark, another researcher followed up with these students in the early 1980s to see how their careers were progressing. Among the starkest findings, especially for men was that “...The less evidence of extrinsic motivation during art school, the more success in professional art, both several years after graduation and nearly 20 years later.” Painters and sculptors who were intrinsically motivated, those for whom the joy of discovery and the challenge of creation were their own rewards, were able to weather the tough times – and the lack of remuneration and recognition – that inevitably accompany artistic careers.

And that led to yet another paradox in the Alice-in-Wonderland world of the third drive, people’s “inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise their capacities, to explore and to learn.” “Those artists who pursued their painting and sculpture more for the pleasure of the activity itself than for extrinsic rewards have produced art that has been socially recognized as superior,” the study said. “It is those who are least motivated to pursue extrinsic rewards who eventually receive them.” Rewarded subjects often have a harder time seeing the periphery and crafting original solutions.

The material rewards I get from training, speaking and facilitating workshops are great, and they give me good income. But when I see the effects of the training on the participants, when they send me messages through email or Facebook telling me how much the training has impacted their lives, the fulfillment of the accomplishment and the motivation to do more actually become bigger. Bigger than the fulfillment and motivation derived from fees alone.

People ask me where I get the inspiration to inspire others. I tell them, I get it from doing all those pro-bono talks for teachers, parents and students in schools all over the country.

After thinking about all these and reading Daniel Pink’s book, I came up with this conclusion: I have been called to do what I do. This is the purpose for my existence. My Creator has blessed me with this talent, and He has given me the responsibility to use that talent in inspiring people. The responsibility is heavy, the work is never done, the efforts to improve are demanding, but the fulfillment and joy are always there. So when people ask me, “Are you doing the talks for school, pro-bono?”

I smile and respond, “Not really. I’m actually doing this pro-Deo.”

What about you? What motivates you in what you do?

(I’d love to hear from you! Visit www.franciskong.com to send me your feedback. You can also listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. during weekdays over 98.7 dzFE-FM, ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)