Episode 8 | Negative Creativity
Friday, May 17, 2024
Goals of the Episode:
- Define negative creativity
- Discuss examples of negative creativity
- Discuss negatively creative influencers
- Is negative creativity always illegal?
- Outcomes of negative creativity
- What you can do about negative creativity
Definition of Negative Creativity
Dark creativity, which is malevolent or negative, uses the creative process to do something socially unappealing and guided by self-interest. Although one might not intend to harm someone else, harm is often a byproduct of one's actions.
Examples of Negative Creativity
The Savior Complex
This group of folks can be characterized as people who don't realize what they're doing is even necessarily negative, that it has unintended consequences, or that it's illegal. They don't feel like they're doing anything right or anything wrong. In fact, they think they are saving people and their actions are justified.
They are creative in the way they speak to others and the way they push their agenda. History is full of examples, like Hitler and Charlie Manson, who used creativity in devastating ways.
Content
Books, movies, video games, music, and even comedy have many examples of material that some consider negative or dark.
Music and video games have been implicated as the reason for school shootings and other crimes. However, this is largely a flaw in logic.
Advertising
Advertising is all around us, and it is manipulative. But man, some of those ads are really creative!
Creative Criminality
Con artists, identity thieves, and common petty shoplifters all exhibit creativity while breaking the law.
Outcomes of Negative Creativity
Sometimes creativity can be categorized as negative because the outcomes of the act are damaging - intended or not. Here are some examples:
The Automobile
It is said the car was invented, at least in part, to solve the "horse poop in the street" problem. It also allows for fast and efficient transportation.
Fast forward several decades, and we have climate change and thousands of road-related deaths a year.
Is the car inherently a bad or negative invention? No. But there are absolutely many negative consequences we are dealing with today.
Fertilizer
The development of industrial fertilizer is arguably one of the greatest advancements of mankind. It allowed us to feed the world.
Like automobiles, when we fast-forward in time, the reliance on fertilizer has created an untenable situation for food producers today. Topsoil is depleted of nutrients, and fertilizer production has been centralized by only a few producers, making the supply chain precarious.
Technology
As a society, we have consistently railed against all new technologies—writing, books, radio, and TV. Social media technologies are currently the recipients of this disdain.
The key difference is that this technology is targeted and designed to take advantage of human behavior flaws. We are now living through those negative outcomes, and new research is constantly showing us these effects.
What Can You Do About Negative Creativity
Check out the book Stolen Focus by Johann Hari for more information about how to deal with social media.
Pay attention to your energy. If you put out negative energy, you are likely to get it back. The work of David Hawkins is a great resource for all things energy and emotions.
And like we've said before, it's all about awareness.
The Four Q's
During this show segment, we introduce four ways to interact with the material presented: A question to answer, a quest to complete, an aspect of creativity we've noticed this week, and a quote to ponder.
Question:
Is creativity ever neutral? Does it have to be good or bad?
Quest:
Identify a time in your life when you did something creative, but there were unintended consequences to you or someone else.
Quality Creativity:
Creative prison contraband and the creative ways the prison tries to stop it.
Quote:
"Creativity doesn't always wait for the perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones."
- Bruce Garrabrandt
Have a Creative Week!
Episode Credits
The Everyday Creative is hosted by Evie Soape and Emily Soape. It is produced by Emily Soape.
Please drop us a comment or question at hello@theeverydaycreativecollective.com. You can also find us on Instagram @theeverydaycreativecollective and Pinterest.
Theme Music: “Living Life” by Scott Holmes Music. Available for use under the CC BY 3.0 license at Free Music Archive.
Break Background Music: "Alive In It" by Ketsa. Available for use under the CC BY 3.0 license at Free Music Archive
Hi, we're Evie & Emily
Co-founders of The Everyday Creative Collective
We believe that everyone is creative. Creativity can be used to enrich everyday life. Click here to learn more.
