Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence. Our creativity has tremendous potential to liberate human condition.
We have commodified all our forms of art. All the crafts of art now work for cinema, TV, or social media. Earlier, writers used to work for the public good or for making kings accountable — that was their main way of working.
In these ways, creators potential are being used for the very oppressive system they are in.
They were the cause of many revolutions in the past, because if you channel them in the right direction, you can be a great to change the collective psyche. That’s why people in power are afraid of this potential — that’s why they control the narratives, celebrities, film productions, media promotions and so on.
The meaning of words can be changed. If you check etymology, many words have had their meanings changed. So they can be changed or distorted with the power of media and marketing.
But in the case of art forms, they cannot be changed. For example, if someone paints a picture, or a singer sings a song, or crafts a sculpture, their meaning cannot be changed. Even though words are changed, their expression remains untouched. They can’t distort it if you think about it.
We have to use this potential of art forms in whatever way possible to express our views. It is a great catalyst and powerful if you want to use it for collective good.
Creativity now serves money, corporations, power — rather than collective good. Whether it is writing scripts, screenwriters’ jokes, journalists’ views on the news, graphic designers’ work in magazines, video creators’ videos for the algorithm, photographers’ work for the movie — somehow or other, they all are working for capital’s interests, whether they want it or not, because of the economic structure we are in. Those are the limits of what we can do or cannot do.
But we can use them to channelize against the very system that is oppressing. It can be a force for the liberation of humanity.