Hello, this is Lex Remlap, but my friends call me Levi.

A question I often come across when I’m self reflecting, is “Why am I doing this?” It’s a good question to have an answer to, and one that can grow more complex depending on how many times you ask why.

There are the three big motivations to consider. Money. Fame. Power. Or perhaps sex was one of them, so we’ll just go with four for now. What I’ve learned from my music career over decades is that there’s very little money, very little fame, and virtually no power. Being married I’m not into that rockstar lifestyle, my wife is plenty enough.

So if there’s no money, fame, or power, there needs to be a more personal motivation. Why do I write? It’s fun. I enjoy the process. I enjoy giving birth to a world that my characters can live in. I enjoy playing god and seeing things from a perspective that is hard to find outside of creative works.

It’s precisely this motivation and drive that brought me to complete a book in only 10 years. I did it for me, I did it for Yona, and I’m still doing it because I simply enjoy the craft.

But I’ve learned that even God Almighty enjoys an audience. Let’s be honest, we want people to enjoy our works with us. Half of the enjoyment is someone else’s enjoyment. Without someone else enjoying what we create, we’re missing out.

That’s where setting the bar on the floor comes in. This technique I apply in as many places as possible, therefore everything above the bar generates gratitude. So with the bar on the ground, can you achieve an audience of one? Yes, yourself. Can you achieve an audience of two? Do you believe that Jesus is intimately watching? Then YES audience of two. What about three? And so forth. If you’re blessed to have one friend, or a parent, or a sibling, just one single mortal (or immortal, if that’s how you roll) and you can have that “audience” itch scratched.

I’m blessed to have a mom who reads my work, a God who’s invested in my life, a wife who inspires my work. If I can make something they enjoy, then I’ve achieved success.

Fame? Money? Power? Influence? Sex (if applicable)? Those things come with time. Consider your creative craft a potted plant. You planted the seed, you watered it, you’ve done all you can to care and nurture it. It will be a while before your little plantie gives you back anything. You’ll need to love and nurture this plantie until it grows to produce fruit. It could be years before it breaks above ground and you see your fanbase grow, your royalties begin to generate, and people commenting how profound your thoughts are.

Therefore, it’s a best practice to be ready to love your work unconditionally, before your work loves you back.

Creation and expression is a marathon, unless by some chance you win a lottery and suddenly go viral. As for the rest of us plebs, we build it brick by brick.

Whatever you do, don’t quit five minutes before your miracle. Your characters are utterly dependent on you. If for no one else, do it for your characters. Do it for the subject you cared enough to write about. Do it for yourself. Do it.