Most of us will have seen some version of the "Nothing is new anymore!" argument circulating the media and creative industry corners of the internet. It's a long-standing dilemma that continues to gain traction but fails to reach many solutions beyond toppling capitalism. Many factors contribute to this complex issue:
The prominence of mid-culture is driven by algorithmic tastes.
A dire lack of representation beyond affluent people from the Global North
The disintegration of mainstream culture into a petri dish of niches pandering to our individualistic desire to be unique.
A criminal lack of funding for arts and creative education.
Youth culture's obsession with nostalgia and Y2K aesthetics that seem to be on a never-ending loop.
Etc., etc., etc.
While these are all important issues to be addressed, something else is flying under the radar. The creative-slash-culture-slash-media industries seemed to have lost themselves in a maze of their own making: self-obsession. An obsession with creating categories, aesthetics, or trends that can be deemed 'new' by our colleagues. Holding the responsibility to be the ‘creators of culture’. An obsession that’s distracting us from the multidimensional, multisensorial, physical manifestations of how culture emerges in real (URL and IRL) life.
Sadly we can't give you the final solution, but we can show you new ways to find culture. We spoke with creatives outside of the Western industry bubble, to give you five ways to seek inspiration. A big thank you to today’s contributors:
Momo in Lagos, Founder and Editor-in-chief of GIDA Journal - a publication and platform championing African artists; Mira in Brighton, an arts and culture researcher-consultant and co-Editor in Chief of GIDA Journal; Kat in Brisbane & Avi in Bali - Co-founders of Cahyati Press - an independent bookstore and “publishing experiment” in Bali; Kshitij in Mumbai, Founder and Editor-in-chief of Dirty magazine.
01. Re-contextualise newness
The industry’s frustration Gen Z’s obsession with nostalgia has positioned the past as a hindrance to cultural progression. Newness only exists in the context of what came before it. In Dirt’s recent interview with David Marx, he made the excellent point that “what is cool about the Internet…is that by taking away so many of these different parts of our cultural experience, we start seeing that they existed”. Rather than lamenting nostalgia, we can look to the past and other elements outside of our current realities to work out how to move forward.
02. Tap into the energy of your environment
Culture isn’t the internet. Uncovering inspiration from the distinct energy of a physical, local area can be deeply rewarding. Rather than solely focusing on surface aesthetics, exploring the deeper nuances and unique characteristics of a place, can unveil rich sources of creativity. Our contributors highlighted how the varying rhythms of life in their communities influence both lifestyle and artistic expression. So, when seeking inspiration, consider delving into the essence of where you are, looking beyond its outward appearance, and engaging all your senses in the experience.
03. Find an enemy
We all know that some of the best moments in friendships are when we’re able to be candid and say how we really feel, in our close friends ‘safe space’ in private Whatsapp groups away from prying eyes. And, let’s face it, hating can be fun. It’s something the industry often shies away from, but done right, à la Delia Cai’s Hate Read, it can feel quite refreshing. For better or worse, negativity is proven to drive engagement. Despite its obvious pitfalls on the wider media landscape, finding shared grievances can be a positive driving force for cultural change.
04. Reference people, not work
Most (good) creatives already know that we’re all surfing the same are.na boards and insta archives, which puts us in a pickle when competing for the same jobs with the same pool of references. Self-awareness is always a good thing, and it has prompted people to get themselves back outside and find inspiration in the real world. Instead of coming at inspiration-seeking as a battle between online and offline references, we could center our efforts on finding those ‘lightbulb’ moments from the energy we get from personal relationships. Our contributors were kind enough to share some of their inspiration points with us, many of which surfaced as a result of a changing of hands between friends and local communities.
05. Embrace wormholes and go deeper
The internet can be an unhelpful partner in crime when it comes to research. Stuck in the same cycles of ‘recommended’ Meta-approved content churn, the algorithm doesn’t care if you don’t try and expand your vantage points. So use social platforms mindfully. Consciously step outside of regular programming, be that with news sources or influential accounts. When you stumble upon an idea, trace the source and embrace the wormhole. What matters is understanding where your reference points come from, and being open to the unexpected.
