Everyone, or rather almost everyone, wants to leave something behind; to create a legacy that endures long after they have gone. Legacies take many forms. For ordinary people, that legacy can be creating a better life for their children, or it can just be their children. For the egregiously rich, it can be their name on a college building they funded, or a foundation. For the creative kind it may be a particular work, a particular performance, a particular piece of art.
In the end no one has the luxury of choosing what they will be remembered for, least of all writers, moviemakers, musicians, anyone who has ever made any kind of material for public consumption. This assumes, of course, that they will be remembered at all.
To a certain extent, the moment you enter public consciousness, in any capacity, you lose autonomy. You lose control of who you are, or rather of how you are perceived by other people. People will create an idealized version of you, deciding through flights of fancy the subtle nuances of your personality and how you should behave in general. Regrettably, this imagined persona will always trump who you really are. You become a figment of their imagination. They determine your relevance and by the same token, they will determine the merits of what you create. In the end, you have no control over what will have an impact and what won’t. Popular opinion is ultimately what decides the legacy of those who produce. The creator himself has very little say in the matter.
Nonetheless, anyone who produces anything, be it music, movies, innovative new programs, apps, games, or devices, will have a favorite. If given the opportunity to choose what their legacy will be that favorite is their choice. Those who want to be remembered, want to be remembered for what they’re proud of.
