# Why we create the hidden truth behind art and self | Babar Mangi | TEDxSukkurIBA Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oanr1dDvDdE Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/oanr1dDvDdE Generated: 2026-01-22T17:41:25.87+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The speaker, Babar Mangi, reveals that the hidden truth behind art and self creation lies in three layers: creating from love (Layer 1), creating because one felt unheard (Layer 2), and ultimately creating to give hope (Layer 3), which involves transforming pain and struggle into beauty. **Key Points:** - Layer 1 of creation is driven by 'Joy, excitement, the process' of making art, which the speaker initially experienced but later felt responsible for due to external pressures like not getting views. - Layer 2 emerged when the speaker felt unheard, causing him to choose rap as a format to be seen and eventually lead to viral moments (like a song with 20 million views) where his art began touching others. - Layer 3, the deepest layer, is creating to give hope and help others find themselves, following a 'Universal path: Joy -> Voice -> Purpose'. - To create something timeless, an artist needs both the 'Magician' (instinct, soul, child within) and the 'Scientist' (structure, understanding, craft) aspects. - The speaker's personal struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts (Ego death/Pinch of salt in universe) served as the raw material for his art, transforming pain into beauty. - The speaker cites examples like Ansad's lyrics and Master Chandar's use of songwriting to show how art reflects and transcends personal feelings. - The realization that pain, failures, and existential crises are the raw materials from which beauty emerges marked the speaker's deepest understanding of creation. ![Screenshot at 00:00: The opening slide establishes the talk's theme: 'Introduction,' highlighting the internal drive \('Voice inside every creator'\) that pushes creators to build something from nothing, posing the central question: 'But why?'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oanr1dDvDdE/00-00-00.jpg) **Context:** Babar Mangi, a Sindhi rapper and music producer, delivers a TEDx talk exploring the underlying motivations for artistic creation, moving beyond simple enjoyment or fame. He structures his realization around three distinct layers of creation, detailing his personal journey from creating music purely for joy to realizing his art's power to connect with and help others, ultimately framing struggle as the essential source for artistic beauty. ## Detailed Analysis Babar Mangi outlines a three-layered progression in his motivation for creation. Layer 1 is rooted in the sheer joy and excitement of the creative process itself, but this motivation shifted when external validation (like views) was absent, leading to a feeling of responsibility rather than pure love for the craft. Layer 2 emerged from feeling unheard, which led him to adopt rap as a powerful voice and a bridge to be seen. This layer brought success, exemplified by a song reaching 20 million views on Coke Studio, where his art started impacting others beyond reflecting his own feelings. This led to Layer 3: creating to give hope, which he identifies as the deepest layer, following a universal path of Joy -> Voice -> Purpose. Mangi argues that true timeless creation requires merging the 'Magician' (instinct, soul, the child within) with the 'Scientist' (structure, craft, understanding derived from trial and error). He concludes by emphasizing that pain, failures, and existential crises are the raw materials that, when processed through this combined artistic lens, ultimately give birth to beauty. ### Introduction - Spent hours making music, people asked why - Voice inside every creator: wakes you up to work on idea - Spark drives to build something out of nothing - But why? ### Why We Create (The Layers) - Not for fame or applause - Create to extend persona while being who we are - To say, 'You're not alone, we felt this too' through the format - Create to be remembered through stories, to escape out of ego - Understanding why holds a purpose: Your creation can touch others ### Layer 1 – I Create Because I Love It - Joy, excitement, the process - Transition: No views -> lost motivation -> couldn't express - Then Coke Studio -> Writing felt responsible - It's not about what you love, but what you need to say ### Layer 2 – I Create Because I Felt Unheard - Twist: Art became my voice - A bridge to being seen - Transition: Finally heard: Viral moments - Art does not only reflect your feelings, it goes beyond that - Art started touching others ### Layer 3 – I Create to Give Hope - To help others find themselves - The deepest layer is service - We don't create from where we are - We create from what we survive so others can be together - Universal path: Joy -> Voice -> Purpose - Question: Does every creator know what they are doing? Maybe! ### The Magician and The Scientist - Magician: Instinct and soul, Magic = beauty, soul, The child? - Scientist: Structure and understanding, Science = shape, timeless (Why craft works?), Comes with trial, error, study - To create something timeless, the artist needs both ![Screenshot at 00:00: The opening slide listing the key themes: Introduction, the internal drive of creators, and the central question, 'But why?'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oanr1dDvDdE/00-00-00.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:31: Slide detailing the talk's structure, introducing the concept of 'The Hidden Truth' behind creation, including the three layers the speaker will discuss.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oanr1dDvDdE/00-01-31.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:01: Slide comparing 'The Trap' \(initial creation motivation based on feeling perfect/self-satisfaction\) versus 'The Truth' \(creation tied to awareness and impact\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oanr1dDvDdE/00-02-01.jpg) ![Screenshot at 07:41: Slide contrasting 'The Magician' \(instinct, soul, child\) with 'The Scientist' \(structure, craft, study\), concluding the artist needs both to create something timeless.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oanr1dDvDdE/00-07-41.jpg) ![Screenshot at 14:55: Slide titled 'Pain into Beauty: Transforming Struggle,' detailing how pain, failures, and existential crises serve as raw material for art.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oanr1dDvDdE/00-14-55.jpg)