This is the Age of Technology. No argument there, right? Like I said to my sis, @MizDurie, the other day, it's also the Age of Creativity. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has had this thought. You know how "original" thoughts go. Just haven't met the other millions of people the world over who've had it/ said it / written it. When I say "The Age of Creativity", I am not speaking as if from my own microcosm, oblivious to the mind-blowing creations and inventions that mankind has been bursting at the seams with since fig leaves doubled as underwear and outerwear. No, instead, I'm shifting our focus to the creative possibilities and realities that the Age of Technology has brought with it, given its built-in opportunities.
It used to be that the creators and inventors whose products and services and artsy creations made it to the world stage, were relatively few and far apart. Every single solitary person is creative in some way; some in more than one way. But, that way, or those ways, for most people, did not get to see the light of day; did not make it to the world's platform where it could be showcased and enjoyed and laughed with - and laughed at!
The Age of Technology has made it possible for many who were, before, bereft of such opportunities, to "do their thing"; to show it off for an audience comprising more than their immediate family and close friends. In short, they have tapped the built-in opportunities in technology and have come out expressing who they are in their own creative way. This is the Age in which the common man, woman, boy, girl, cat, dog (you get my drift) shines!
Consider for a few seconds the millions of YouTube videos that scream "Look at me!" as the performers broadcast everything from singing to ice-sculpting; busking to painting; showing cat love to breakdown over sloths. Are more creations/productions taking place now because there is an online outlet? I believe so. Some writers have thumbed their noses at traditional publishing and have now gone the way of eBooks; blogs; vlogs - anything that can fulfill the need for an outlet through which their creative juices, having flowed, can be shared in a certain space.
Many of us know how tightly we hold our creative works to our chests. It takes guts and gusto to "put it out there" under the critiquing eye of the public. So, whenever I'm drawn to a new creative piece on show, I usually (usually) appreciate the courage it took the creator to get it there. I believe, however, that just the very frequency and volume of creative works being published; uploaded; broadcast, reduces the apprehension of possible rejection by that much. After all, with so many people are doing it, if mine wipes out, it will be forgotten in the next minute.
I also think that that same frequency and volume sear, even by that much, our expectation for something that we might regard as "a quality production". True, this would be subjective. But, I'm sure quite a number of us have experienced inundation of offline and online product pushing - everybody has something to sell; to say; to sing; to do; to drive; to watch; to wear. We are constantly bombarded by consumerism and by the creative. But then, once in a while, there is something that stands out, different from the rest, resonating with something inside us. It is beyond our seared expectation and it makes us sit up and take notice. That, I imagine, is what most creators are going for.
The thing is, some try way too hard. And, not all cases end well. So, courage mightn't be short, but, common sense might be. Just this week, we read of the newly wed woman and her "trash the dress" photography session; of the man dressed like Bigfoot, only to be mowed down in the middle of a highway. No need for me to get into how brutal some commenters can be behind a screen and pseudonym - even in cases like these. You've read them. What we find "amazing" though, perhaps, not entirely surprising, is that there are those who will continue to do things for cheap thrills; for shock and awe; to stand out; to try to get their fifteen minutes of fame, while not applying common sense.
Thanks to smartphones and other personal devices, photographers, videographers and iReporters abound. App creators, for example, appeal to users, who in turn create for other consumers/onlookers and so on and so forth. We are all creators and consumers at one and the same time.
Speaking of personal devices, I've been using my PlayBook to capture what I call "gems" in my comings and goings. I look forward to showcasing other folks' works; events and scenes that speak for themselves as they wow the beholders. For example, I was happy to record and showcase the performance of Turbo Street Funk, a busking band out of Toronto, the other day. Also, grabbed some pics from the 2012 Sand Sculpting Competition in Bronte, Ontario. (Pics below.)
We can - and we do. And, there's a place to show it off. Somewhere.
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| Peter Vogelaar's creation |
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| Siggi Buhler's creation |
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| Guy-Olivier Deveau's creation |
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| Tanya Kastl's creation |
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| Scott Herel's creation |
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| Sandi Stirling's creation |
Claudia
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