Transcript:
There are things happening in the world that are extremely harmful to society and to the environment, but are quite... boring to talk about. Boring because it’s complex, It’s visually non-appealing, it’s distant, it’s silent, it’s grey. How do we deal with this as a society, in an era where people's attention span is shorter than ever and the competitive media landscape pushes content production to the edges of dramatic, sensational, crazy, and ... “you won’t believe what happens next”? This a real question for artists, storytellers and other influencers of culture who care about impact: how do we deal with “important, but not sexy”.
My name is Camille, You’re listening to Cosmic Dynamics, 5min of exploration on art, change, and the music of the universe.
I need to mention here that in this episode I am taking the perspective of artists, storytellers, communicators who value impact and “the change factor” as part of their purpose and process. I am not suggesting this has to be the case, there are a lot of other approaches that do NOT take impact into account and can be very meaningful expressions of the mind. This is not a debate about the purpose of art and narratives. It’s a piece designed for - I repeat - artists, storytellers, communicators who value impact and “the change factor” as part of their purpose and process.
Ok, I was on "what is important, but not sexy". Take the plastic pollution crisis for instance, it’s a lot more compelling to pick as a theme for your art or story “plastic in the ocean, on the beach” or "excessive packaging in consumer lifestyle" than a harmful liquid natural gas trade deal that is going to lock-in new plastic production infrastructure for decades because the capital investment needs to pay back whatever happens… Just hearing this sentence was boring.
What’s the problem with the more compelling story? Well, if a large majority of stories focus messaging on cleaning up plastic pollution, consumer behavior and the promise of recycling, then we occupy the media landscape with symptoms, or stories that focus on consequences of the plastic crisis, rather than root causes. Meanwhile speculation keeps driving investment decisions, and new deals are made in silence in the corridors of power, ensuring more plastic packaging will flood the market for the decades to come.
It’s not that raising consumer awareness is not important; these pollution stories have been instrumental to reach the level of engagement we see today on plastic. But if we take a rational look at the numbers, talk to a couple of analysts, research the plastic infrastructure investments under way, and get a better understanding of what’s going upstream the plastic supply chain, we quickly realize that the monster is actually getting bigger and bigger each year. Sadly, 90% of the media stories, art works and narratives on plastic are not up to date. Reducing the demand for straws and takeaway packaging in a few regions, and people being more aware of the problem is not doing anything to stop new plastic from being produced, because developments on the supply side are going at a much faster pace than demand reduction, legislation etc.
Ok, let’s say we realize that yes, this is the case, we are not telling stories that put the spotlight on root causes. Beyond how complex reaching this level of understanding is, not because we’re stupid, but simply because those are very complicated systemic nightmares, and it takes quite a lot of swimming into numbers and market dynamics to realize the crisis is much more supply-driven than demand-driven, there is another challenge: telling these structural stories requires a LOT of creativity, because let’s face it… trade deals, petrochemical markets and infrastructure development in general is boring, mainly because it’s complex, It’s visually non appealing, it’s distant, it’s silent, and it’s grey.
It’s a lot easier to talk about something plastic at the supermarket or in the waste bin or on the beach. Its more likely people will engage, it’s more likely the story will spread, more likely my art will get noticed… yes indeed. OR, there might be another way to look at it:
Picking the hidden stories, the boring ones, (but the structural ones! - the stories that can undermine deals and decisions that are at the root causes of the problem, this "critical mass” dimension to the crisis…) - is a great fucking challenge for people who value creativity!
Think about it: First of all, you are so creative you can make anyone notice that stuff, that’s why you are an artist, a remarkable storyteller or on your way to the stars.
Second, there is a lot of value in - what I call - “the blindspot factor” - a great way to break through the noise. Third, once the root causes will become more apparent, because they will, your work will be perceived as pioneering, and you will be more relevant than ever...
You know it, relevance is everything, and it’s not pleasant when the ground moves under our feet. That’s one key reason why we created Cosmic by the way, to build bridges between those with the deep research and clear understanding of complex systemic issues… and artists, storytellers and content creators of all kinds. Because this gap needs to be considered, so we can constantly put the spotlight on root causes. So please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to facilitate meaningful connections.
The art piece I want to feature today is an installation that was made by students of the Art School of Olot in Catalunya, it fits very well the theme of today, because it’s reframes what we directly think about when we hear its title... “plastic landscapes”. Plastic landscapes, that would be the translation from Catalan “paisagte de plastic” - I let you take a look and masticate what this episode may mean for the themes you are working with. Let me know your thoughts! hello@cosmic.show.
cheers.
