Why Man Creates is a marvelous short film by Saul Bass (famous mostly for title design) and Elaine Bass. It won the Best Short Documentary Oscar in 1969.
My art teacher in high school was a huge fan of the film, as was his buddy, the English teacher. I’m sure I saw it in high school at least five times, maybe more. It was also shown a couple of time at early Starwoods, so I saw it again then.
It’s a beautiful film, hard to find now, but a true cult classic.
There’s a sequence where scientists are interviewed about their research. Many have been working on the same problems for 10 or 15 or 20 years, and feel a solution is only a few years away. There’s one scientist who worked on a problem for 20 years, and failed. His project for all those years was now over, and it was sad to see him pack up and walk out of the lab, not knowing what was next.
But in truth, success would bring the same empty space. You work on a thing for 20 years, and you succeed, you’re done. Now what? It’s a good thing, a wonderful thing, but it’s also a hole. It’s a loss.
For twenty years or, not to put too fine a point on it, for eighteen years.
What has happened in my life this week is a good thing, a joyous thing. But it’s also a loss. Motherhood has been eighteen years of a science project. And I know I’m not done. I also know it’s now, quite suddenly, different than it ever was, and it’s not ever going back. Like a scientist packing up a lab, I don’t know what’s next.
Hi!
I’m from Poland.
I think that Your books are awesome! You write funny and interested. I’m sorry for my english. In Poland there are not much books taht You wrote, but I’d love read others. In Poland there is only “Elements of ritual”. This book is very important, ’cause I know now how I should do my own rituals. In my country, we have no much informations and it’s very hard to have initiation, so the books like Yours, are very, very, very important.
Thank You for them 😉
Blessed Be!
If You can, please write somethink on my blog. It will be nice for me.
Oh! I forgotten. I like Shiva and hinduism, but I don’t know can I sing “Om namah shivaya” and others hindu mantras if I’m wiccan or maybe I should change this cult for wiccan way?
Hello, Wiccan. It is so nice to hear from you. I couldn’t figure out where to write on your blog because I do not speak Polish.
Write to the Polish publisher and ask for more books of mine in Polish. It’s totally up to them, my American publisher does not do the translation.
Wicca is not an “exclusive” religion, our Gods are not jealous. Hindu gods are also not jealous and do not object to you worshiping other Gods. So it is totally fine to worship both as a Wiccan and with prayers to Shiva. I pray to Kali all the time.
I love that short! I haven’t seen it in maybe 30 years, but I still remember one gag: an Arabic mathematician hard at work suddenly leaps up and says “Allah be praised! I’ve invented the zero!” His friend says “what?” and he replies “nothing, nothing”.
Thank You for answer.
In my blog, there is link “opinie” and “napisz”. When You click “napisz”, You can write. Later You will know how to do, because it’s very simple. Nick, blog, comment, code and “wy?lij”- “send” 😉
Dear Deborah:
It was my father and his associate at Kaiser Aluminum who came up with the idea to make WHY MAN CREATES. He hired Saul Bass to direct the film. H efirst told me about the project on an isolated beach beach in Pt Reyes. I was 10 years old at the time and its effect on me has been palpable for over 40 years. Creativity has never been more important and I’m thinking of returning to the subject in some sort of professional way. I appreciate your interest and thoughts on the subject of creativity.
Douglas Sandberg
Douglas, I am so delighted to hear from you. Your father’s film has been a lifelong influence on me.