Philosophical Inquiry 3: Focus

The Creator's Mandate: A Dialectic of Ideation and Will

This is a philosophical inquiry into the nature of the creative act. What truly separates the created–? Us as beings, and from the creator; God from man? Man and AI? Child and parent? Regardless of one's specific belief, "The Creator" represents the ultimate, one-above-all entity. Religious parables refer to this entity as God, with humanity and our existence being the product of two fundamental principles: ideation and will. When these two forces act in synergy, life is breathed onto concept and tangibility is formed.

The Mastery of Ideation: The Architect of Worlds

We simultaneously exist within two realms: the physical and metaphysical. The physical world is the realm in which we can touch, see, and interact with. The metaphysical is the internal realm where our ideas, simulations, and conceptions exist. Mastery of Ideation in this sense then is the thinker; able to conceptualize beautiful, abstract worlds, becoming auteurs of new realities through the metaphysical.

This leads to a dialectic on the nature of identity. Are we not made in our “creator's” image? Biologically, we’re formed from the genes of our ancestors, concentrically growing from the base of the originator, being morphed again, and again with each instance of birth (your child, your child's child, etc).

Where does this cycle begin and end?

Some may say God. Some may say the parents of our parents to the nth degree. Nonetheless, I would say that we are the product of our predecessors, spurred from the art of creation (pro or otherwise). If so, is our purpose not also to create? To continue the pattern? Not merely in inconsequential manners for the duration of our lives (think the struggling artist trope) but instead to the highest heights in a manner similar to the utmost creator there is. I say this not in condemnation of the trivial creator but in calling to seek heights beyond the mundanity we’re both plagued and blessed to bear witness to.

In this, the truest meaning of perfection, then, may not be a finished product, but the creation of a platform that inspires and welcomes the creativity of others/the user (think a child and the infinite possibilities that can be bestowed upon them). It’s the divine tendency to procreate; our experience, pain, loss, creativity amalgamated into our creation, recursively creating off of that instilled experience.

This makes me think of Instagram, Apple, and AirBNB. Looking at what makes these platforms “successful”, (legacy being the metric) is the ecosystem that they’ve curated and fostered. Instagram allows creators and influencers to be able to create their own communities of people within the overarching Instagram ecosystem simply through the provision of the platform ("simply" being a severe understatement). You go on Instagram and see what your friends post, read the news, and consume your entertainment; It’s an all-in-one provision and that is why they are successful. In 1977 and 1984, when Apple released the Apple II and beyond that, the original Macintosh, respectively; Think of the infinite capabilities that were now granted to people: to be able to have a computer at home that allowed you to type, program, and digitally build straight out of the box without needing an extensive understanding of computers to do so. We now understand it to merely be a part of life but at this point in time, was a marvel of human ingenuity. AirBNB creates a middleground, win-win scenario for those with homes and those looking for short-term stays. This middleman position allows people to connect, creating an economy that oversees countless transactions daily; This is value. We’re meant to create value for one another as beings.

In using this value metric to view creatives, the ultimate value provision then is life; Our world is the ultimate all-in-one provision there is. Think of the differing, bustling communities we have within this world that have their own ecosystems and ways of functioning. Who must we thank for this? I ask this in general curiosity, not to force our minds onto one another.

The Mastery of Will: The Bridge to Reality

“The one who wills, commands something within themself which renders obedience.” -Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil”

Ideation alone is not enough. The Mastery of Will is the ability to bridge increasingly complex ideas to reality. This is the power that makes a God, "God". We must be both the commanding and obeying party in bringing tangibility to our ideas, putting forth the unyielding effort to will our conception into existence. This requires a series of deliberate steps, actions, and words; the practical process of being a creator. Do this with consistency and at large scale, and one can theoretically create on the level of a God.

Hold the belief that you either produce one of the two: results or excuses. I recommend being in the former camp.

The Humanistic Imperative

So, how shall we optimize this pursuit of understanding? This is not a call to supplant God, but rather to adhere to the dogma that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If one truly reveres the idea of a creator, must one not strive to be like them? This is a humanistic view on creative capability; Do not limit what can be conceptually achieved for you are the forthbringer of reality.

Go be great. Go create worlds, platforms, and immersive experiences that allow people to be byproducts of your ingenuity.