#1: Why Would Anyone create an intrinsic motivation newsletter?

What this publication is about + why I’m the worst/best person to write it

When our four-year-old asks, again and again: 

“Do you like my drawing, Maman? Is it beautiful?” 

I feel sad and a bit peeved to hear him seeking my approval instead of the pure delight of creation.

At other times, I watch him in the zone: engrossed in jigsaw puzzles, entranced in the newfound pleasure of swimming, making up songs when nobody listens. Those moments rub off on me, and I am a tad envious.

When’s the last time I did delicious things just for the heck of it?

I admire people who move towards personal goals with joy, ease and integrity. Me, I’ve generally inched through life eager to please. Please my parents, please my teachers (preschool, primary, secondary, lecturers, driving instructors... ALL the teachers!), please my BFFs, my flatmates, in-laws, employers, neighbours; you get the picture. I get straight As in understanding what other people expect of me and playing by their rules.

It works insofar as I get good marks, pleasant relationships, and enjoyable experiences. And yet. Every now and then, I wonder: how did I get here? How did you? Where to now?

I’ll be dedicating the next 12 months, and hopefully beyond, to finding out.

My work cut out for me

As the header of this post says, I won a yearlong fellowship paid by software company Attuned to launch this online newsletter and write “broadly on the theme of Intrinsic Motivation”. (I am free to explore the topic as I wish and will not write corporate content.)

Before I applied for the Fellowship in July, my skeletal knowledge of intrinsic motivation came from reading parenting books and articles. I had this notion that intrinsic motivation is pure and juicy and kinda superior to extrinsic motivation.

Since then, I’ve learnt that things are not so simple, but this is my starting point:

As a mother, I want to protect my kids’ self-directed spirit, and try to get out of their way so they can follow their joy and curiosity. But I have neglected my own need for play and exploration. How can I provide for them what I’m not providing for myself? 

Of course, it’s easier to talk to children about important values and behaviours than to actually live out and model those values and behaviours to them.

Through this newsletter, I want to understand and access intrinsic motivation and try to relocate it firmly inside of me. I want to explore how it shows up in all areas of our lives: from parenting to freelancing, through to learning languages or rock climbing.

You’re all invited

If you’re interested in following this journey, please subscribe by hitting the button below! 

You’ll receive two or three posts from me in your inbox every week. This will include reported pieces where I dig into different facets of intrinsic motivation with the input of practitioners and researchers. 

Since 2010, I’ve made a living as a science and policy journalist for serious publications such as Science magazine and SciDev.Net, peering through peer-reviewed research and jargon-rich reports galore. So expect some geeking out.

I plan on talking to people who study and embody (and maybe try to engineer) intrinsic motivation: artists, athletes, children, economists, neuroscientists, policy analysts, psychologists.

Yes, I know…

… It is somewhat ironic that I have not come up with this newsletter goal completely by myself. My initial reasons for exploring intrinsic motivation are, well, extrinsic; you could say I’m here on assignment. At the same time, I see the mission as an exercise in making something—this newsletter—honestly mine.

I hope you will join me and enjoy the ride.