I’ve been grappling with the term “content” for years, and it’s time to address the elephant in the room. The internet, once a playground for creativity and art, has morphed into a relentless content factory. This shift has left many of us, who consider ourselves artists, in a state of paralysis, unable to reconcile our creative impulses with the demands of content production.
In the early days of the internet, platforms like Myspace and early Twitter were spaces for experimentation and genuine connection. Artists could share unfinished works, engage with their audience, and create without the suffocating constraints of data-driven metrics. But as corporations and ad agencies began to dominate, the focus shifted from art to content. The internet became less about creativity and more about producing bite-sized, brand-friendly, algorithm-approved snippets designed to maximize engagement and minimize risk.
This content-driven approach is fundamentally at odds with the nature of art. Art is an inward-to-outward process, driven by the artist’s need to express something meaningful. Content, on the other hand, is audience-first, extrinsically motivated, and often dictated by the whims of algorithms and market demands. This dichotomy has created a landscape where true creativity is stifled, and artists are forced to compromise their vision to survive.
The pressure to conform to content norms is immense. Platforms like TikTok demand constant output, with creators expected to churn out multiple videos a day, each tailored to fit a specific format and aesthetic. This relentless pace leaves little room for genuine creativity or experimentation. The result is a sea of homogeneous, forgettable content that prioritizes quantity over quality.
For someone like me, who identifies as an artist first and foremost, this content-centric world is suffocating. I’ve spent years trying to bridge the gap between art and content, hoping to find a way to make my creative work viable in this new landscape. But the reality is that the two are incompatible. Art requires time, thought, and a willingness to take risks. Content demands quick, safe, and easily digestible output.
The rise of AI-generated content has only exacerbated this issue. AI can churn out endless streams of mediocre content, flooding platforms with low-quality material and making it even harder for genuine creativity to stand out. This not only devalues the work of human creators but also contributes to the overall decline in the quality of online content.
So, where do we go from here? For me, the answer lies in reclaiming the space for art, even if it means stepping away from the content treadmill. This might involve focusing on offline projects, exploring new mediums, or finding ways to create and share work that isn’t dictated by algorithms and market trends. It’s about prioritizing quality over quantity and staying true to the creative process, even in the face of economic pressures.
I’m not naive about the challenges this approach entails. The current economic climate makes it difficult to sustain a creative career without compromising. But I believe that by recognizing and addressing the fundamental conflict between art and content, we can start to carve out spaces where genuine creativity can thrive once again.
It’s time to stop burning our best ideas for the sake of fleeting online engagement. Let’s focus on creating meaningful work that stands the test of time, even if it means stepping away from the content rat race. The internet may have changed, but our commitment to art and creativity doesn’t have to.