As I enter my mid to late twenties in this era of millennials, boomers, and Gen X Y & Z’s battling against one another for who has the hardest time, I’m faced with the pressure to solidify my ethics and morals and choose the aesthetic they best fit in with. Am I to be a modern-day hippie with my Doc Martens and oversized thrifting, joining the line of collectivism and the taxing (or eating) of the rich? Or do I fall in line of a financially motivated career driven woman, with individualism at the heart of my capitalistic goals, climbing the ladder faster in my heels and ironed outfits?
It might be argued that creativity comes into both of these roles; however, in the context of personal creativity I’d have to disagree. Sure, on your CV creative thinking looks good, but thinking up an out of the box strategy or solution isn’t the kind of creativity I’m talking about. I’m talking about Art.
Art comes in many forms and is subjective… at the best of times. Art to me, on a personal level, is one of the things worth sticking out life for. It is the answer to that big, age old, philosophical question. Just as Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
Historically, art and financial stability have never gone hand in hand. To be a true artist you must first truly struggle, or so they say. Ticking the corporate boxes written by the men in the boardroom might be a struggle for the young women in heels at the bottom of the ladder, but it would be rare to find those who dub themselves as true creatives recognise it as such.
As someone who weaves in and out of both lines, imposter syndrome is a commonly felt side effect. I’d love to say it helps fuel my creativity, but it usually dulls it. I’d love to say it strengthens my resolve to climb the ladder, but it usually falters my step. What it does do however, is encourage my time to be given to both. There are pros and cons to this, as there is to anything (as Gen Z’s know all too well, it’s very easy to adjust your perspective to fit a new and preferred narrative), but that’s what I now tend to do. I refuse to stick to one version of myself. I let myself flow in and out of the narratives created for me by outside perspectives, and in and out of the versions of myself I’ve labelled imposters. Letting my artistic and capitalistic dreams take turns. Switching the spotlight from one to the other constantly and effortlessly in my bid to exist exactly how I want to, without questioning how I should do.
Creativity is a crucial balance to capitalism. It allows respect for both ventures, for exactly what they are, and allows a breather from the pressures of both. Despite their inherently contrasting natures, both remain intrinsically tied to perfectionism and self-deprecation. Meaning, in my opinion, the success at either or is a feeling like no other. Which makes for recognition in both well worth striving for, wherever that recognition might come from.
In the world of capitalistic creativity, ClickASnap does a pretty job at balancing both as well. With the documentation of life through photos a daily norm, and cameras now so easily accessible, imposter syndrome will rarely sneak through the camera’s lens and ruin a photo. Giving people a platform to share their own art forms at the same time as honouring their work in this capitalistic society is something ClickASnap has now become known for.
I cannot speak on the balance of creativity and capitalism without also making note of my gratitude for getting to be behind the scenes of ClickASnap. The resources to create art through image-based mediums are abundant, making it far easier for me to balance my own creativity; heels and all.