Nathaniel+R’s+2017+OpEd+Article

The Monopoly On Creativity



Soon I will muckrake, but first, a story... My Aunt once told me of a trip she took to Washington to visit my two cousins who were both enrolled in colleges there. After visiting the first she got on a bus for a long ride to the location of the second. Sitting right across the aisle from her was a man reading a book. Seeing that it was a very popular book called Boys In the Boat, she asked the man about it. He told her that she could read it during the bus ride, and lent her the book. As the bus ride neared its end, the man asked her what she thought of the book. While talking she told him that she was an artist and he asked, “An artist? Do you think you have a monopoly on creativity?” She told him no, creativity can be used for anything, nobody can have a monopoly on creativity. As the bus came to a stop she bid him farewell and said, “Nice meeting you I’m Kate Russell,” he responded, “Nice meeting you too, I’m Daniel Brown. You can keep the book, I hope you continue to enjoy it.” With that he exited the bus leaving her with her own copy of Boys In the Boat by Daniel Brown.

...This story intrigued me not because of its cool story about meeting the author of the book, but because of his instantaneous reply to the fact that my Aunt was an artist. Do you think you have a “Monopoly on Creativity”. This phrase stuck with me. While my aunt did not fall into a category of people who felt they had a monopoly on creativity. As I thought about this I realized what Brown meant.

As technology and culture changes many people who participate in or enjoy a classic art form begin to try and discredit new forms of creativity and art. They subliminally believe that they have a monopoly on creativity.

Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination

Art is something that has been a key part of humanity since the beginning, starting with cave paintings, and following through the book of ages to our modern day where the mediums are endless. Art transcends some snobs opinion about what he thinks qualifies as art. You may have a favorite form of art, but that doesn’t mean your least favorite forms are not art. If someone spends countless hour creating and thinking in order to master a skill and create a masterpiece, it is art, just accept it. You don’t have a monopoly on creativity.

The idea that our modern education system destroys creativity is not something new. Yet in this new day and age creativity will become the most needed and important tools a person can have. Our schools systems deficiency lies is in its inability to foster creativity in any area. Our schools common solution for a decline in creativity is to force everyone into an art class. This only repeats the problem. If a kid finds himself stuck in an art class and he hates drawing his creativity will only decrease. As he tries to push art through his fingers like homework assignments, his despise for the subject will only increase. His place to succeed as an artist might not be with a paintbrush in his hand, or an instrument in his arms. It may be behind a computer, it may be with a wrench in his hand, or it might be as a scientist. What our schools need to do is put art and creativity into everything. With putting things into categories like fine art and the lesser, applied art, our schools have only encouraged rating art forms differently. We need to see the opportunities and potential for art and creativity in every subject so that someone can find their niche and learn to be creative in that. But what is holding us back. Our hesitancy to validate art forms. We see something new and we don’t consider it an art. Here is some examples.

Rap is music: This is a genre of music that has been under constant criticism. Classic musicians and listeners immediately discredited this form of music mainly because of its origins. After seeing inner city gangsters making music, many classic musicians and listeners responded by saying it wasn’t music and was simply fake. Rap is music, to say otherwise is frankly offensive to the many people who have spent hours refining their skills in this field of music. (FYI, if you were to go to the Wikipedia article on Foothill Technology High School, the only notable alumni listed is a grammy nominated rapper)

EDM/Dubstep/Electric is music: Similar to the previous statements about rap. This genre was shunned because the musician wouldn’t have to perform on an instrument. Yet the artistic creativity required to create amazing music under this genre is still the same.

Video Games / Computer Programming is art: The amount of skill and creativity it takes to make one of these is ridiculous. Often the the result can be beautiful and masterful. It has even reached a point where awards ceremonies similar to the Oscars have been established solely for awarding the creators of video games.

Science/Engineering is art: Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, the moon landing and that's without even getting into the robotics side.

Cooking is an art

Graffiti is an art

Comedy is an art

Sports are an art

Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination

Art is such an important part of our society. As creativity bursts forth from the minds of humans we must encourage it in all forms. Anybody should have the chance to use their skills towards creating art. Nobody gets to have a monopoly on creativity.