Where once drawing and other painterly pursuits were the province of starving artists or simply child’s play, unlocking one’s creativity has become the latest mantra of personal growth and career success. We nurture our inner Helmut Newtons on Instagram. We explore storytelling with our iPhones like the director Sean Baker did with his movie “Tangerine.” Buy some crayons, we are told, and be more productive at work. Like mindfulness and meditation before it, creativity has become a mainstream commodity.
11 comments:
“I’m talking about a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear,” Elizabeth Gilbert writes about pursuing arts and creativity daily without having to drop your career to dream. I love this quote so much. The idea that people can pursue their dreams without overthrowing their lives is very encouraging. People should have the courage to do what they want without feeling like they are failing at life because they don’t make enough money. I think everyone should take time out of their day to use their creative side. To have a nice balance of creativity and reason each day will make our lives lighter and more satisfying. Talent doesn’t need to be a factor in being creative. The worst painter in the world can paint all day long if that is what they want in life. I am always on the side of following your dreams, no matter what they are.
Randy Pausch made a whole career of pursuing his dreams. Though he did allow his dreams to fuel his career, this article argues that this is not completely necessary. Adults have a lot of responsibilities. They have jobs, they have to cook, clean, do laundry, care for others, pay bills, the list goes on. Just from reading that list I could appreciate how someone could become complacent or unhappy in his or her everyday life. Being creative allows people to express how they feel, and relieves stress. I love the idea of adult coloring. Except for the fact that I am now receiving a grade for my art work, I love the feeling of freedom when I draw. There are no rules. Adult coloring allows for people to escape the small stupidities or stresses of every day life. Whether it be coloring, singing, playing an instrument, the possibilities are endless, I feel it is so important that people stop what they having going on for just a few moments in their day and relax. Whether it be releasing their creative juices or just "Netflix and chilling" people prove much more effective when they are happy.
I love how this article takes about a way for everyone to expand their creativity through their iPhones. I feel like everyone at some point wants to be an artist but is afraid to show it. This allows you to be creative without having to feel pressure. It's even an educational experience for others. This article puts it best when it says "CREATIVITY is marketed as a model for self-fulfillment". I always feel that from my work. I also did an exercise once with some kids when I was helping them learn line for a show. I said draw what you're supposed to say. It's crazy some of the stuff that came up with. I don't remember the lines, but I remember a girl drew a blue whale jumping out of a gutter and it blew my mind. I think it wasn't even related to the text. But it help her with it's inner meaning and she was able to learn the first act of the script after that day. So creativity definitely opens the mind and gets you ahead.
I really do think that the rise of creativity culture is accessibility. Before, an artist did need to devote their whole lives to the pursuit of art. To be an artist, you needed to apprentice from the time you were 12, only if you were a male, only if you were wealthy, only if an established artist lived within walking distance. Then, you would spend your entire life practicing and perfecting your craft. Now, I can study anything I want online. I can take photographs with my phone, and edit it them to my aesthetic whims. I can study painting perspective and lighting through high speed painting montages found on youtube. I can film on my phone, edit films on my laptop, and have my work watched by an audience within seconds. This is the age of do it yourself, which means that there is more art being created than ever, by more people than ever. It benefits the people doing the art, because they can have artistic release in their everyday lives, but it also benefits society as a whole. While it is true that more art does tend to mean more bad art, the flip side is that it also means that we are producing far more good art than ever before. It takes an artistic community and an artistic mindset to usher in a new way of cultural creativity.
I think the rise of a more creativity-centered culture isn't surprising at all, because for many it becomes the welcome respite to an otherwise chaotic and painful day. As we focus more on work and getting ahead, concern for hobbies and passions fall to the wayside. "Creativity" as described by this author means following your non-work-related interests, which isn't really a novel idea. I think the novelty comes when we compare the rising focus on work ethic and creativity at the same time. This is a positive thing for our culture as a whole because it hints toward a growing concern for internal and not just external life. Introspection and caring for your mind is just as important as being successful in the business world, and a rise in focus on "creative" topics is an optimistic indicator that more people might be realizing that.
There are definitely a million factors involved here, and also definitely a lot of history of creative development that I'm certainly not qualified to speak on. However, I definitely think that the U.S. is undergoing a kind of strange creative awakening. I'm not sure if it's simply derived from people choosing social media as a way to flaunt their most "creative" moments or it's just because American people are appropriating eastern ideals of creativity. Regardless, it's definitely happening, and I'm glad that the article pointed out the fact that the allure to creativity is not necessarily a new ideal, because like I previously mentioned I don't know enough about this history about it to really delve deep. However, I have definitely noticed that the 2000's have definitely brought upon a creative spark to the common people, and its actually quite exciting.
I can't count the number of times that I, upon telling someone I'm going to school to major in theater, receive a response along the lines of "How fun!" Rarely has anybody expressed awe at the amount of work I'll be taking on, or how much effort it will take me to earn my degree, remarks my friends in STEM or Humanities fields often hear. Instead, my university experience is to be considered almost a pastime, where I'll glue pieces of paper together while on psychedelic drugs, and receive grades from men and women who wear berets and use phrases like "abstract post-expressionistic heroin chic." Rarely, if ever, is it acknowledged that my creativity, and its products, takes work, and lots of it. However, I think that Lia's earlier point about how everybody being able to pursue their dreams, coupled with Amy Koultouski ( “It is O.K. to be creative and not be a child.”) show promise. I am optimistic that sometime, hopefully within my lifetime, I can speak of my time here at art school without someone bringing up wildly incorrect stereotypes or misconceptions about creativity based career paths. I can only hope that the realization of my theater-related dreams will be seen as equally valid and deserving of respect as those of my friends in other fields. This article is certainly a heartening reminder that my hope is not entirely misplaced.
This article strongly reminded me of a principle one of my classmates talked about this morning during Amy Needs A Name -- The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The theory advocates for at least eight different categories of intelligence, including Musical, Interpersonal, and Spatial. What's so interesting about this theorem is that, unlike most schools and intelligence tests, it doesn't limit a person's ability to only logical or linguistic knowledge. People really do benefit from understanding and involving themselves in creative practices, and can be intelligent in those too. And what's awesome is that we are fast understanding that not having a Rembrandt quality of painting or art doesn't mean you aren't artistically talented. Some of my favorite pieces of art come from weird taxidermy artists, or people who stitch together magazine images to create a piece that looks both hopeful and sinister. Our common denominator of what makes a good artist is expanding to include even the people who don't devote their lives to the craft, which is equally cool. It just goes to show you that you aren't simply one side of a coin; those good at logic can be intelligent with music, and vice versa.
This article really intrigues me. People are just seeking fulfillment in their lives and when they don’t find it in their jobs or home life they seek it some place else. The arts, especially as amateur, offer an atmosphere of “you can do no wrong”. People are free to express themselves in a way that can’t in other areas of their lives. It also comes with the understanding that in order for people to pursue creative endeavors some “bad art” will be produced. I am the last person who would encourage low quality art on the professional level, but what’s the harm in Suzie Q making a bunch of ugly lop-sided pots? I can also understand the feeling of “I made this with my own two hands”. That’s one of the reasons I love my job so much. I experience the pride of having made something from nothing almost every day (some days not so much).
As artists, I think we need to take our concentration away from the people who do not value the arts, and instead give our attention and energy to those who are. In fact, I think this article is trying to point to the fact that our country is shifting from having a disrespect for the arts and those who make their living in the arts, and instead focusing on the clear benefits of living a creative life. Not only does this new trend positively impact our industry's economic health, but it also means there are more and more people out there who are using their creative minds, and will in turn respect those who do so for a living. Sure, there are many people out there who do not think studying art is respectable or as worthwhile as, say, engineering. But we can't focus on those people. We need to focus on the people this article is talking about, and target our art around their involvement. I think this is especially true for the younger generations with the creativity involved with certain social media. If we can continue to find ways to reach these young, creative people who do not necessarily make their living in the arts, the future of the arts industries will be very bright.
I've always been a big supporter of having creativity in your daily life. I always am telling my siblings and close friends to find creative hobbies. It really helps you channel your energy in a better way and I am happy that this lifestyle and attitude is becoming more and more appealing to people everywhere.
However, the danger is that people only see the arts as a hobby or pastime and not as something to be seriously passionate about. When I announced my intentions to study theater in college, no one I knew was outright discouraging about it, but they did make condescending comments about "how much fun" I would have in college and were picturing me gluing and painting things with no actual homework or what they considered "real" work. I really enjoy talking to other people in the CFA because they understand how much work we are putting in and how much energy and time our creativity takes.
But as more people are starting to respect the benefits of a creative life, I can only dream of the day when people will take my career choice as seriously as my brother, who is pre-law and my sister who did pre-med.
Post a Comment