Art and Creativity to Solve Problems
Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and data all together emerging as “tech” are often, most recently often deemed as “best solutions” to challenges faced at a local and global level.
The rat race between organizations, agencies, corporations or individuals to develop the latest and greatest in technology around the world through new digital platforms and apps is on, every day. These advances in technology and innovation continue to benefit our society in a lot of ways and often to make our day-to-day lives easier — With the advances, come more algorithms and automation. While technology, algorithms and services with automation may be beneficial, does this make society more disconnected, dependent and lazy? Furthermore, is this consumption of automation always the “best solution(s)” to what our actual challenges and needs are around the human experience, humanity and human connection to make the world a better place?
What about art and creativity — Moreover, service, empowerment and transformation through art and creativity? What if we re-imagined our day-to-day service with an approach of working together to leverage creativity, engage and empower the artist community and our cultures? Could we re-shape, revitalize, rejuvenate and create solutions to transform the world and solve society’s most pressing challenges?
With a value of $2.250 Billion of the world’s revenue contributed from the writers, painters, musicians, photographers, directors and other Creatives of the world, we’re in the Age of The Creative. Creativity is shaping the world’s economy impacting, influencing and adding to Global society and culture. Every day we see, feel, taste, listen, watch, consume or are inspired by Creativity — it’s all around us.
The arts and creativity have and continue to make immense psychological contributions to society — Enhancing well being through enjoyment, immersion, development of skill, revelation and expression of emotion, shaping of self, connections with people and a culture, with potential for transcendental experiences. Music and Memory, is a great example in touching those points by collaborating with Multi-Grammy Award Winning musicians, like Bryan Michael Cox and Robert Glasper in using music to provide alternative healing treatments that allow those with Dementia, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive and physical challenges to reconnect with the world through music — Music and Memory is art and creativity making an impact, providing a solution that attempts to solve a medical challenge by re-triggering memory through art(music).
Portraiture narratives of people from separate, warring lands, posted in huge formats, in unavoidable places, face to face, on the sides of each country is art and creativity working as a solutions medium to spark change for the two countries of Israel and Palestine to live peacefully within safe and internationally recognized borders.
Jarring yet, thought-provoking imagery, underscored by a sound track of Strong, correlating lyrical content with a perspective that thought-starts dialogue is art and creativity being used as a platform to initiate problem-solving around justice, weapon reform and America’s prioritization of tom-foolery.
Writing and storytelling, inspired by real life events, that creates safe spaces for dialogue around race, sexual orientation and gender preference is art and creativity again for the win, creating a solutions approach to challenges of general LGBTQ equality and acceptance that specific minority communities face.
Using data and jazz to deconstruct the Star-Spangled Banner at The U.S. mass incarceration rate through a multi-sensory experience is art as a solution to bring awareness to the problems of social justice and human rights around the United States making up 25% of the world’s population and simultaneously contributing to 25% of the worlds incarcerated population.
Placing these examples in the category of “entertainment” is easy. But doing that, further perpetuates the challenges the artist community faces every day in being undervalued, inaccurately pigeonholed, disproportionately commoditized and severely under compensated for the immense value they add to society as a whole. Moreover, there’s a gap in serving and empowering the artist community with the resources in having opportunities to actually address these challenges.
What if we start to include a seat at the table for the creative artist community to be a part of more conversations at city, state, federal and international levels?
What if artists were a part of RFP and bidding processes for contracted work with corporations and government agencies?
What if they became certified and more preferred as suppliers or vendors over agencies?
We believe Art and Creativity can solve problems. Integrating the creative artist community as potential solutions is a first and worthwhile step to addressing local and global challenges, while simultaneously creating resilient arts, culture and a human experience. We address the gap and prove it by giving them a seat at the table to do so in this Age of Creativity.
Ian Davis is a results oriented, creative problem solver on a mission to serve the Creative Community. He combined his passions for helping others, creativity and culture, with his Ad Agency experiences to start Age of The Creative: a consulting collective that serves the artist community with resources and opportunities to scale and providing problem solving strategies and solutions for Brands, agencies and corporations.
