It was around the time of the Renaissance that “creativity,” heretofore something only attributable to the deeds of the god(s), became part of the realms of mere mortals. Creativity, in its broadest sense, is not exclusive to the world of arts and humanities, but also applies to the sciences as well.
For a time the process of creativity was prioritized in a near-global manner, with innovations and inventions emerging in the sciences and incredible works of art coming into existence both in the West and the East. But the pursuit of new forms of creativity began to lose some of its luster in the early 21st Century as automation and mass production systems became prevalent. It was no longer necessary to create and innovate, when simply being the middle man in a streamlined, cost-efficient and mass-produced process was enough to make a lucrative living. These people became our bankers, car dealers, retailers and lately, even our politicians and leaders.
Creativity diminished in importance, so much so that people who simply “thought of stuff” came to be known as “Creatives.” There was no such designation a century ago because there simply wasn’t a need to highlight anyone as being particularly creative. Chances are, if you were living you were being creative. If you were a farmer, you were “creating” food. If you were a retailer you were probably making your own clothes, trinkets or widgets to sell.
“The Great Reset of 2020,” brought on by Covid-19, however, has given us time to pause and reflect on the roles that the “middle man economy” and the “creative economy” now play in our lives. It seems as though the scales had tipped too far towards mass production and distribution, and a correction of sorts was in order.
It is my belief that one of the major changes to emerge from this period is a renewed appreciation for those who create.
Festival to bring safety and fortune to fishermen, Shikoku ©2019 George Nobechi
If you are reading this and you are a part of the “middle man economy” as I define it, don’t be upset; I was in that role until five years ago as well. I’m not saying that bankers, manufacturers or distributors will go away or that they do not have a role to play. But those who innovate, produce new content and adapt to the limitations placed on us by rapidly changing global circumstances will be valued more than they were before.
As we speak there are researchers working on new methods of isolating anti-bodies or developing vaccines more quickly than we ever have before. There are people pulling out their old sewing machines to make masks for themselves and those who need them. There are artists who are expressing how we all feel during these times and photographing, painting, singing about our longing for connection. And then there are those of us who are out there seeking to meet new areas of demand by finding ways to keep us connected, learning and moving forward together under these strange times.
Our series of talks by the photographers on Evenings with the Masters is our first contribution towards filling this new need. And there will be other ideas that we will be putting into action in the near future.
Festival to bring safety and fortune to fishermen, Shikoku ©2019 George Nobechi
Until now, the public securities markets: stocks, bonds and so-on that are listed and available for purchase for the masses (important to note that this applies to those who have excess savings to begin with and that a significant portion of the world was left behind in this type of wealth), have been the default vehicles to grow your money aside from your home. Thanks to excessive Central Bank interventions that are becoming more frequent and larger in recent years (first in 2008-2009 and again now), confidence and trust in the real valuations of these assets is slowly being eroded. Having spent a long time in that field, I admit that at times these days I don’t know how a listed company should be valued anymore, when the game is rigged— the powers that be simply will not allow markets to take their natural course and correct during recessions, and instead they print unlimited sums of money to keep the carousel going.
Jane’s Carousel, Booklyn ©2014 George Nobechi
When or how does it stop? No one knows. But I know I am not alone when I ask these questions. Will stock markets continue higher one day to make new record highs? I’m sure that they will, but the market will probably see a massive shift away from traditional brick-and-mortar businesses towards technology leaders and innovators. What the Nasdaq Bubble of 2000 could not do, Covid-19 in 2020 might just finish off.
Atelier, Tuscay ©2015 George Nobechi
We may see a partial resource shift from intangible assets into tangible ones. At least we can drive or polish our vintage cars, strap on our hand-crafted Swiss watches or admire our artwork on the wall daily, even during times when going out and traveling becomes just a little bit more infrequent.
A recent surge of online art sales that has seen transaction values double since the pandemic and average prices rise by 5% seems to be an early indication of this trend. Even a fraction of dollars invested in public markets moving into creative ventures would be a massive injection for the community.
A subtle, but nonetheless perceptible shift will occur in the global economy. Many countries will move production back within their borders in response to supply-chain disruptions that have come, and will continue to come as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. Costs will rise, and people will care a little less about their mass-produced, superfluous convenience items, because their coffee mug will now cost $8 instead of $4 if not made off an assembly line where labor inputs are 1/4 those of the West. And for just $10 someone will likely make a far better, hand-crafted coffee mug that stays warmer longer, keeps your latte foam from thinning out and looks good, too.
As the first wave of lockdown restrictions are lifted soon enough we will be back in our cars, going to work and forgetting many of the things we told ourselves that we would do “when we get back to ‘normal life’ ,” but nonetheless some changes will take root. We are already making those changes. As I alluded to in my previous blog post, many things in Japan changed after the nuclear crisis, and so the way we travel, interact with each other and go about our daily lives will change forever after the Great Reset.
It is easy to look back on pre-Covid life and lament what was lost, but this is also a chance for us to shape our future for the better. So if you consider yourself to be a “creative” person, welcome to your time to shine. And if you feel like creativity is not in your nature, just remember that the label “creative” is not exclusive to those in the arts & humanities or, even in the sciences. There is a myriad of democratic platforms at our disposal: the internet, online conferencing platforms, and yes, cameras. All it takes is one idea for you to try something new, make something new, fail at something new—and eventually, succeed at something new. A greater value will be placed on your efforts, and so the rewards will also be just a little bit sweeter.
Motel and my car, Texas (from my solo journeys) ©2015 George Nobechi
And if what you do best is invest in others’ ideas, allocate more resources towards investing in the creators. Although all the funds for the Evenings with the Masters series go to supporting charities, in essence you have already taken that first step towards investing in creativity. Your support gives us belief and confidence in what we are doing, and we hope it does the same for you as well. So, thank you for your belief in us and well done to you, for taking these steps to help support creativity for now and into the future.
Let’s embrace this time to reflect upon our current values, and emerge from the Great Reset of 2020 with a renewed sense or purpose and hope. It is my belief that we will all benefit from a gentler, kinder, slightly-slower-moving world that supports creativity.