The future of art according to Sarah Rowan. I am 38 years old, and I have been in the art industry since the age of 16. From where I now stand, the meaning of art has changed so many times over the years, but it's relevance to society continues to expand with ever increasing impact.
With a world ever quickening it's pace through technology and the amount of data and images we are exposed to on a daily basis, I personally believe there is a desire and need for breath. As artists, we often create works as an emotional response to what is happening in our world. Over the centuries, the political, social, environmental and spiritual pulses of society have been captured in paint, ink, pencil, stone, dramas, stories, film, music etc. This will never change.
At our current pace of 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created daily on the internet, and our average exposure to 34 gigabytes of information daily, it is no wonder as an artist I find it difficult to marinate in an emotional reaction to anything. Whether it is something impacting us as a society globally, nationally, or in my community, it is mere seconds before I feel bombarded with more data, more reactions.
We live in a digital world, but still have analytical hearts. For businesspeople, this concept is imperative to consider. One of todays most sought after speakers, Anders Sorman-Nilsson elaborated on this concept in his book Digilogue. With this in mind, despite the technological advances that allow us to create art through tablets, AI, light shows, digital music etc., I believe there will always be artists who speak through traditional mediums of art.
I also believe that the definition of an artist is becoming more and more inclusive. As society embraces more genders, sexualities and the unique personalities that make us all so individual and unique, it is forcing artists who perceived themselves to be in some exclusive club of individuality and even superiority, off of their high horse. I adore author Elizabeth Gilbert's definition of creativity as simply the "relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration." This raw, elegant and simplistic definition gives room for everyone to embrace their creativity and inner artist.
I believe every person in one way or another yearns to respond to these mysteries of inspiration in some form. For me it comes in several forms and waves. In the wee hours of this winter morning, I woke feeling the buzz of creativity and chose to let it out through this blog as my fingers type half frozen in my Sydney apartment. Why this city doesn't have central heating in most apartments is just beyond me. lol
Predicting the future is not in my job description to say the least, but when I close my eyes and listen to the creative pulse of my world, I see a world of creativity formed by analytical hearts responding to the cries of the environment for sustainability, to the screams for justice for the 40.3 million slaves (one in 200), and to the fears of uncertainty in every industry and nation.
Respond. Find your voice. Find your medium. Art has a way of healing us through our personal life journeys. Visual and audible creativity has a way of communicating where words fall short. Words have the power to create both life and death literally and figuratively, speak wisely. Creativity is your birthright. Use it.
