Musing On Making-Meaning: 8 Points To Learn And Remember

Last week, I introduced the topic of “meaningfulness” as it relates to artists and depression.

Today, I want to review and reinforce a few ideas about finding, making, and maintaining meaning, on a personal level. Looking over this list, I’m surprised that I didn’t realize so much of this earlier.

On the general size and shape of meaning:

• Meaning doesn’t come in just the extra grande sized servings; there are also little nibbles of meaning (popcorn purposes?). These bite-sized portions are functional and productive. I don’t have to find a purpose that gives meaning to my entire life…. just a meaning for why I’m doing this altered-book page, or this blog post, this painting, or this load of dishes.
• Meaningfulness doesnt have to be forever. It can be meaning for this afternoon, for a week, for a year. I may find a temporary meaning in discovering meaning. I may find temporary meaning in becoming organized.
• Meaningfulness doesn’t have to be worthy, by anyone else’s standards, or even mine, for that matter. A purpose doesn’t have to be altruistic, it doesn’t have to be lofty or idealistic or “for the common good”. If making a million dollars is meaningful for me… that’s a perfectly decent motivation, inspite of the mutters about “sell out!” that may come.

On the personal nature of meaning:

• Most people will never understand the meanings that I find and invest in the things that I do. Sometimes, they will assign their own meaning to what I do, projecting onto me and my work. That is ok, too.
• No one but me can say what does or should matter, in my work. Meaning is personal. What matters is what matters to me, and everyone else is
• Finding, acknowledging, investing, and maintaining meaning is important for me, and for many other people. A loss of meaning can and does create a sort of personal crisis, for creative types, and this crisis can easily lead to depression.

On the loss of meaning:

• Sometimes, my sense of meaningfulness will flounder. I’ll have doubts about the worth of something I’m doing, and sometimes maybe I’ll doubt everything I’m doing. That’s to be expected.
• When doubts hit? Maintain. A sense of purpose will return, It may not be the same purpose. It may take time to find, develop,restore a sense of purpose. but it will happen, because it is the nature of the mind, the ego, and especially? it is the nature of being me.

I’m sure there should be a third bullet in that last section, but I haven’t figured it out yet. For now, I’m off to maintain.

Happy Thursday : )

(inspired by the book The Van Gogh Blues by Eric Maisel)