Rewarding Creativity: How Stanford Researcher Discovered Intrinsic Motivation

In the early 1970s, a Stanford researcher gave markers to some children who loved drawing.

He split them into two groups:

• Group 1 expected a reward for drawing
• Group 2 did not expect a reward

A few weeks later, they returned to observe.

The results were fascinating… pic.twitter.com/d8U6VZXBV9

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

The children selected for the study had shown a keen intrinsic interest in drawing, having regularly chosen the activity over others when placed out in the room.

During the study, all of the children drew as requested.

Group 1 received their expected reward for drawing.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

When the researchers returned two weeks later, they wanted to answer a specific question:

How would the same children behave when markers and drawing paper were placed out in the room (with no instructions or reward incentives)?

The findings shocked them:

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

The children who had expected (and received) a reward for drawing showed significantly less interest in drawing as they had before the study had taken place.

The children who had not expected a reward exhibited the same amount of interest in drawing as before the study.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

The researchers concluded that tying an incentive to a task that the children had previously felt intrinsic motivation for had actually reduced their intrinsic motivation for the task.

In other words, drawing was fun—until it became a "job".

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

It is possible, even probable, that by chasing our passions as a career, we will quickly turn them into any other job.

The intrinsic motivation to pursue a given task is undermined by the reward system that inevitably enters the fold.

Play can quickly become work.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

In this modern digital era of online businesses with low barriers to entry, there is a rampant narrative that you need to monetize your hobbies and passions.

If you don't you're missing out—or so they try to convince you.

My advice: Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

It's perfectly reasonable, and even advisable, to keep some hobbies and passions as just that, hobbies and passions.

Remember: It's ok to keep PLAY as PLAY.

Follow me @SahilBloom for more and RT the original tweet to share it with others! https://t.co/o8xAdeOOl9

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

I used the Adobe Firefly Beta to visualize the Stanford study.

Here’s what I got.

I don’t think I’ll be turning my passion for generative art into a career anytime soon… pic.twitter.com/s4JJtosNAd

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

The allure of making money off of something you intrinsically love is strong.

But there is a trap you need to be aware of…

I call it the Passion Paradox:

We have a deep desire to chase our passions, but by chasing them, we may actually reduce our passion for them.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received:

Have at least one thing in your life that you are bad at (but love doing).

Ambitious, driven people tend to do everything with some specific end in mind.

It's wonderfully refreshing to do something just for the sake of doing it.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

My three core takeaways:

1. It’s ok to keep play as play
2. It’s ok to let work be work
3. Try to make work feel more playful

Simple, but not easy.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023

I think about this a lot in my own life:

I want my work to maintain playfulness.

All of my content is free—I don't charge subscribers and I don't sell courses or products.

I never want it to feel as though I am punching the clock to get my reward from my followers each week.

— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) June 22, 2023