I am a creator

I've identified by many labels before. "Samson Zhang: filmmaker, designer, developer," reads my outdated LinkedIn banner. Software engineer, product manager, and now founder are oft-used titles. I love music, and make nice little covers on YouTube, but wouldn't call myself a musician. I love writing, but wouldn't really call myself a writer, either. On my website, I identify broadly as someone who "loves building things and telling stories."

All of these labels, scattered as they are, reveal an overarching idea I've recently come to grasp: fundamentally, I enjoy creating things. Be it software, writing, music, or even food, the act of making something come into being that didn't before is what brings me joy and fulfillment in life.

It's the opposite of consumption, which feels horrible. You know what that feels like: the guilt and disappointment of having watched two hours of YouTube videos instead of doing anything worthwhile with your time. Creation is the perfect antidote: any sort of output goes a long way towards lifting me out of whatever slump I'm in.

Perhaps this is a universal human trait. We create to leave something behind in this world, a marker of our existence, something external to our mostly locked-off memories to give some sense of meaning to our voyage through time. This self-awareness, and desire to create a legacy transcending our physical deaths, are what characterize human consciousness and behavior.

At a practical level, the idea of creation is a useful guide for how I spend my time and pursue fulfillment in life. "Start the day off by creating something," I wrote to myself in January. "Write a blog post. Build a software feature. Make a video or song cover. Do that instead of checking your email, social media, hopping on meetings, etc. It sets the mood for the day, and feels much better."