I think ultimately art is about what you feel and what you want to do with those feelings? Like, of course, there's always that validation/attention thing in the back of one's mind but the major part of creating is about responding to things surrounding you? For example, this forum is like half-dead, but people still post fanart/fanfiction of the characters they love because they find them important? ... 'This part of the game moved me/I liked the introduction of that one main/I find this one's design simply stunning/their personality has so much potential' is enough to make my hands grab the pen and go.

I don't think that most of the people who create do so because they want to be noticed. Because like, craving for attention won't bring you far enough to make the art you'd like? it usually makes one's art worse and duller if you ask me >.> The motivation that will last long enough to allow one to draw comes from themselves.

+ about the forgetting part! I'm pretty sure people actually remember the art they see. I've scrolled through who-knows-how-many pieces and still, if you put one of these in front of my face I would likely be able to recall it? Like, people usually go search for the art they want to see so it probably IS somehow important to them as well.

(++ pretty sure a 'nice!' is still a good thing. Sometimes people don't know what else to say and that's perfectly fine! They paid attention and felt the urge to leave something- Anything. And I think it's pretty great)