Like the philosophers and intellectuals of the past, careers in writing, music and classic art are on their way out.
True art and talent resulting from disciplined practice and mastery of techniques are being lost in the midst of advancing technology where anyone, whether or not they do it well, can write, sing or draw.
The constant access by artists and viewers to technology and media has inundated society with so much art that we no longer understand what it means to be talented in these professions.
Because anyone can change a picture to simulate stylistic mastery, those who can actually take an exemplary photograph are out of work.
As a society, we have become so driven by the need for instant gratification that “the easy solution” is now perceived as “the best solution.”
For a writer, that means choosing the blogger over the journalist; for a musician, it means picking the simple pop song over the intricate jazz one; and for an artist, it means encouraging the corporate advertiser over one with raw technical mastery.
In the instance of the writer, the blog has only further blurred the lines that define quality writing.
Although it provides a sufficient medium for sharing ideas, there is no standard to define what is “good” and “bad.” As a result, we indiscriminately read everything without thinking critically about the information we are consuming.
Indirectly, blogging has only further encouraged our desire for instant gratification because, without a standard or the ability to analyze the quality of writing, anything can be “good.”
Facing the same issues as the writer, the music industry reflects society’s desire for something easy and uncomplicated.
The popularity of pop music shows that people want something easy to listen to and think about. The simplicity of the rhythms, structure and melodies are catchy and, more often than not, create a type of white noise in the background of social settings.
Jazz, on the other hand, emphasizes off beats and focuses on instrumental innovation. It requires a mastery of the instrument unseen in pop music and typically lacks the repetitive, catchy choruses that jingle over and over in our heads.
This lack of a repetitive tune and abundance of creative ingenuity provokes critical thinking, not the convenient thinking we have become accustomed to.
In terms of a career, the gifted jazz musician gets pushed aside in favor of the less-developed pop artist because we favor the easy melody.
Lastly, the painters, drawers and sculptors are being pushed into the field of marketing through computer graphics, in which the focus is not the art but the product. Creative talent is a secondary factor to marketing skills or an ability to work with computers.
As noted previously, anyone can alter a photograph or piece of artwork with a computer program to enhance its appearance, but those who can provide quality raw material go unnoticed and unemployed.
We have lost our eye for critical consumption. Because there is no standard for “good” and “bad” or because we have become accustomed to the background noise of easy music, we fail to truly examine the talent or skill behind the art form we are consuming.
Those trying to make a career out of their creativity and talent are not recognized because we can no longer differentiate between quality art and that which only satisfies our need for immediate gratification.
We are bombarded with art, music and writing from all directions. As consumers, we need to begin filtering what we choose to internalize. Take time to actually look, listen and read critically.
Think about the quality it has and the talent it came from. Save the creative professions we are about to lose.