By Vikas Pillai, Head of Creative
Technology, creativity and imagination are such infinite terms that they can be interpreted and expressed in millions of permutations and combinations.
For starters, the digital medium is just one aspect of this vast universe and it is a restrictive one. But does that have to be interpreted as a road block to creativity? It is very commonplace to hear the creative team lament that tech is getting in the way of creativity, or even doing away with creativity per se. The detractors say that tech does this in different ways. For example, they say the smartphone’s ability to keep us entertained whenever boredom threatens to settle in stifles the original thinking that might have otherwise taken place. And the Internet, critics say, gives us a limitless supply of content that we can draw from, copy, or even steal. Social media, meanwhile, provides an echo-chamber for what we think, minimizing the creative conflict that leads to new ideas. All in all, it seems that in the minds of many, tech and creativity are poles apart. Thankfully, there is a strong counter narrative to this plot.
Information can enhance creativity, not eliminate it.
The allegation that tech generally is killing creativity is the same sort of knee-jerk negativity that comes with any significant cultural change. And like any wide-scale change, there are always negative consequences. In the case of tech, the benefits far outweigh those drawbacks – even when it comes imagination and originality. Information does not eliminate creativity; it is sheer ignorance to even think so. We might have more data than ever, but data isn’t just about number crunching. It is also about behavioral patterns, cultural preferences, understanding needs and more. It is the power of this data that offered serious insights and led to the genesis of some of the biggest brands and services we enjoy today.
Who would have guessed 2 decades ago that people all around the world would be getting into the cars of strangers, or sleeping in the beds of people they’d never met? And yet Uber and Airbnb – two truly original companies – are now household brands. We take search-engine tech for granted but it has changed the way we live through its inventiveness and Google’s mastery in the field represents some of the most creative thinking for a generation. Thanks to them, with a few keyboard strokes we can ask the world questions like, “How can I improve my creativity?”
Creativity gets more exposure with technology.
Technology doesn’t only enable creativity but nurtures it. Through platforms like YouTube, anyone with an Internet connection can hone their skills and be inspired by others. There are online platforms that encourage creative collaboration by allowing people, irrespective of their geographic location, to get together and explore ideas and techniques. Sites like Instagram do same thing in the realm of photography: the vast number of images available means a limitless supply of inspiration for aspiring and professional photographers. In fact, technology has helped erode many of the barriers which prevented creative success.
Technology is not perfect, but the idea that there is something inherently creativity-stifling about tech simply isn’t true, and the culture of creativity in Silicon Valley is the most obvious proof of this. Creatives shouldn’t fear the tech “onslaught” but look for ways to take advantage of it to be better at what they do. As things stand today, in all probability, technology will drive the next big original idea too. You just have to look around to admit that technology is not shutting down imagination, it is indeed the catalyst for an unprecedented period of boom in creativity.
