If you're so great, why aren't you rich?
(Drawings done while watching a little over an hour of network TV)
These are dark times for the nexus of art and commerce. Every industry that tries to make a buck from others’ creativity is moribund or in flames.
The music business is more intent on suing children for downloading MP3s than trying to incorporate innovations in technology. The publishing business focuses
a disproportionate amount of energy on the works of two dozen best selling and second rate authors. The movie business barely scraped a top ten list together last year. Network television bemoans the final act of geriatric shows like Friends and 60 Minutes, unable to generate anything new that mass audiences will flock to. Instead of intelligent, adult programming, they program sleaze. Fashion’s top designers have become factories or left the business. Advertising is unable to come up with any strategy to combat Tivos.
Over the past decade, conglomerates have engulfed each of these industries. Huge businesses demand regular, increasing profits to feed Wall Street and are loath to bet on anything but a sure fire hit with mass appeal. They slather on bureaucracy and centralize decisions to minimize risk and surprise. But risk and surprise are the food and drink of creativity.
And yet, despite this Armageddon, we are in the middle of an enormous renaissance of creativity. Look around you. People are taking digital pictures. They’re recording their own songs. They’re shooting, editing, scoring movies. They’re scanning artwork. They’re writing essays. They’re sharing stories, and recipes and patterns and ideas. They’re supporting each other, inspiring each other, feeding and cheering and promoting each other.
The only ‘problem’? Oh my god, no one’s making money off all these blogs and personal websites and zines and chats. So they can’t be real. They can’t count.
If they were any good, they’d turn a profit, right?
Just like cave painters had three picture deals. Just like Shakespeare had licensing partners. Just like Mozart was a millionaire, Van Gogh was pursued by paparazzi, Nijinsky had his own MTV pilot… For most of human history, creative people made creative things because they had to. Now, perhaps, we’re getting back to an understanding of how essential and human that is.
By the way, if anyone knows a major corporation that would like to sponsor this blog, please put them in touch with my corporate parent. Just kidding.
A record of my exploration into all aspects of drawing, illustrated journaling, creativity, and the inspiring aspects of art. By the author of "Everyday Matters," "The Creative License", and "An Illustrated Life" and other books.
Comments
I love this and think you are absolutely right. People have been painting, writing, sewing, cutting, pasting away in their homes for ages.
Now we all get to see what's been hiding in drawers and tucked away in journals for so long.
it's a very exciting time.
Posted by: andrea | February 6, 2004 01:17 PM
I find this weblog incredibly inspiring and uplifting and want to thank you. I specifically wanted to chime in with your thoughts in this post. I was saying to an artist friend that digital self publishing means the old rules of several thousand people paying 10 bucks a shot before it's considered worth publishing are out the window and as long as you have a few people that care and want to cheer along anything and everything is worth it and we take control, not the banks. We can all be Miltons and Blakes in this revolution. Thank you for inspiration.
Posted by: demian | February 6, 2004 03:21 PM
Thank goodness I have found your website, because this entry has made my day. Thank you for reminding me that the world is still filled with artists creating wonderful things.
(Which reminds me, I need to get back to writing my story for next week's workshop . . .)
Posted by: Steph | February 6, 2004 04:17 PM
Bravo! This was going to be the topic of my next blog entry. Thanks for this confirming entry of your own.
Posted by: Janet | February 6, 2004 06:30 PM
Thank you again for your insight. While mnay of those facts are justifiably cause for consternation, overall the landscape also holds many hopeful signs. At least people who have a desire to express themselves in a creative and positive way can feel that they're not alone, resourcaes are available and there is good reason to keep the faith. Besides, if we were all to become financially successful would there not be the risk that the perks, responsibilities, etc might distract us from the truths we yearn to acknowledge in our work? I'd hate to spend more time with my broker protecting my aquired wealth than in my studio learning, growing and manifesting the discoveries I've made along my path as an artist.
Doug
Posted by: Doug | February 6, 2004 07:18 PM
Absolutely--a new burst of growth in creativity self-fed by like minds instead of corporate and media whims.
Posted by: susan | February 6, 2004 09:11 PM
amen. (x7)
Posted by: Amy | February 7, 2004 12:02 AM
I'm cheering, too.
Posted by: Dan | February 7, 2004 12:08 AM
We MUST CREATE!
I like your vision.
Posted by: Pamela | February 7, 2004 07:17 PM
you always make so much sense :)
nothing describes the freedom and the feeling of being creative and expressing yourself.
art is bigger than life. bigger than any money-making scheme.
if you do actually make a living off your work, good for you. but if you dont, it doesn't mean you should just give up already.
you aren't alone in this.
keep going, i'm cheering too..
Posted by: gera | February 7, 2004 10:24 PM
I just found your website (via http://www.superherodesigns.com/journal/) your writing and ideas are brilliant - and your website is really nice!
I really enjoyed this post!
Best wishes,
Bianca
Posted by: Bianca | February 11, 2004 04:04 PM