Why do we do it?

It's the question I keep getting asked by people - Why do I act?

Now I'm not limiting this to just actors, I think it applies to anyone involved in the arts - an industry where work isn't stable, money isn't great for most, and where it's competitive as hell. Why would any sane human being, put themselves through this voluntarily? Why do we do it?

So when someone (these people range from those not involved in the arts, fellow cast members, drama schools etc.) asks me why I act, my immediate response is always 'because I love it'. But that's not always a good enough answer for some people. Do you love the attention? Do you love working with others?

A recent answer used by a friend was 'I love the chance to create, to be an artist and create this art.' And my (over critical) response was 'why not become an artist then?' A similar scenario occurred when she responded 'But I get the chance to tell a story, to share experiences'. Again, my over critical response was 'Why not journalism? Granted it's still competitive, but less so. The money's better, there's more work and more job stability. So why acting?'

I'm still currently working out why I act. I think it's a combination of everything; creating, storytelling, inhabiting other people, sharing things with an audience, and the opportunity to possibly change one person's view from a single show.

But while I'm still working it out, I thought you might all like the chance to contribute - why do you do your chosen art form?