It’s a strange world we live in where the process is seen as more important than the finished article. The constant need to know how it’s done and not how does it make you feel is a terrible reflection on how any creative project is viewed today.
I have the privelidge of knowing some really amazing artists, all of whom are constantly having to put out reels showing a small glimpse of how they are progressing on a project. While for the outsider this is interesting to look at, this journey has become more important than the destination. As one of them stated recently, “…personally I don’t want to go to an expensive restaurant and eat a pot noodle or cheesy chips, I can make that shit myself!”.
Creating art, design, music or any creative process is an immersive experience. Constantly stopping just to take a video or still showing my process is doing nothing but interrupting my thought and creative process. I love the time I spend creating, it’s like falling into a warm worm hole where time does not exist and all I am doing is focusing all my attention into the final message. Asking the magician to stop, rewind and show me how the trick was done is taking away the years of practise they have spent fine tuning their skills in deception and misdirection all to put a smile on my face in amazement wondering how it was done.
We need to remember that countries went to war for art, people have appreciated single iconic pieces in a gallery for centuries and investors have created dynasties all on the strength of art. Let’s stop this race to cheapen the final piece for a 3second reel and it’s throw away culture to start learning how we enjoy the journey the artist wants you to go on not the one they have been on.
I am sure things won’t change and the majority of the social media planet will dissagree on this. We have opened the box and let the creative genie out but try to remember and appreciate creativity at it’s genius best. That long, sometimes painful process that we artists / creatives all love and would never change, but it’s our process and not yours. Yours is a different journey that should be enjoyed as your own precious gift.