The Crisis of Creativity: A Call for Completion in the Arts and Content Creation

Once upon a time, art was seen as essential. It was a craft, a trade like any other, with a clear goal of mastery. But somewhere along the way, something changed. The arts began to shift—no longer a disciplined craft that demanded efficiency and completion but rather a leisurely pursuit, something to be indulged in without a clear sense of urgency or consequence.

This shift is evident when we look at how art evolved from being a skilled profession to becoming, for many, a hobby or pastime. At some point in the 20th century, the arts became something non-essential—a luxury, something that could take as long as the artist wanted because, after all, art was about expression, not about deadlines or productivity. This attitude has persisted for decades, particularly during the second half of the 20th century, when the Puritan work ethic had embedded itself firmly in American culture.

While the rest of society focused on how to get things done, build systems, create products, and move things forward at an ever-accelerating pace, the arts remained a slow, subjective field where perfectionism and expressionism reigned supreme. This contrast can be seen most clearly in the rise of the trades.

Take, for instance, the plumber, the electrician, or the builder—those who work with their hands to fix, create, or maintain something tangible. Their work is grounded in a clear objective: something must be completed, fixed, or built within a certain timeframe. There’s a goal, an expected outcome, and a speed that comes with experience. When a plumber comes into your home to fix a leaking pipe, you expect them to finish the job within hours or a day at most. The plumber’s knowledge, experience, and understanding of the task give them the ability to apply what they know to get things done.

The trades, therefore, became elevated in society because they were consequential. They dealt with real, objective problems that needed solutions. These were roles where timeliness mattered, where “getting it done” was not only the goal but the requirement.

But what about the arts? While the trades were flourishing, the arts seemed to drift further into a realm of subjectivity and non-urgency. Art became something that didn’t need to get done—it was an exploration, a meditation, an exercise in self-expression. A painter didn’t need to finish their painting. A writer didn’t need to complete their story. There was no expectation of completion because art, by its very nature, was seen as something personal, something that didn’t need an end. The result? A generation of artists who were trained in the mindset of process, not progress.

Fast forward to the 2020s, where we find ourselves in a very different world—one where content creation is king. Today, in 2024, we are seeing a massive shift in how the arts are being consumed and produced, particularly in the realm of content creation. The demand for fast, engaging, and consistent content has skyrocketed. Companies need videos, tutorials, blog posts, designs, and short films—often all at once, and they need them now. In this new landscape, the artistic process can no longer be leisurely or inconsequential. The need to get things done efficiently, with speed and precision, has never been more critical.

Yet, here is where we find the crisis. We have a generation of artists, content creators, and marketers who have grown up with the luxury of working slowly, honing their craft without the pressure of deadlines or the demand for completion. This mindset does not align with the current market’s needs. The content creation world, marketing, and advertising now require the precision, speed, and efficiency of a skilled tradesman. But unlike a plumber who knows how to fix a leak quickly, many content creators are ill-prepared to operate with this same sense of urgency.

This disconnect is killing modern marketing and content communication. While tradesmen like electricians, builders, and plumbers have an ethic of completion—an understanding that the job must be done, and done well, within a specific timeframe—many in the arts and content creation fields lack this mindset. The problem lies in how we’ve elevated artistic self-expression over the practical need to complete something within a given timeframe.

The modern world demands speed and efficiency. It’s no longer enough to be creative or talented. You must be able to execute. You must be able to complete tasks, not over weeks or months, but in hours and days. The world of content creation—whether it’s a simple explainer video, a blog post, or a marketing campaign—requires the same level of competence and focus as the trades. But unlike a plumber or electrician, who understands the objective reality of their tasks, too many content creators approach their work as if they have all the time in the world.

The harsh reality is that they don’t. Marketing, advertising, and content creation are fields that now require the same discipline, pattern recognition, and experience that you’d find in a seasoned tradesman. You need to recognize what’s required, make quick decisions, and execute efficiently. Whether it’s a tutorial video, a short film, or a piece of digital content, the expectation is not that it’s perfect—but that it’s done.

The current crisis, then, is this: we are standing on the shoulders of generations who approached the arts as hobbies, as leisurely pursuits. While there is beauty in the slow, meditative process of creation, we are now facing a world that demands quick, decisive action. We’ve entered an era where the artistic process must blend with the practical demands of the real world.

In many ways, content creation has become a trade—a crucial part of the global economy. Just like the builder, the designer, or the surveyor, content creators must recognize the need for both art and efficiency. There is an art to creating content, yes, but there is also a need to get it done. And this is the challenge we face: how to create, complete, and deliver with the same precision as a tradesman while maintaining the creativity and passion that fuels the arts.

The time has come for a new ethic in the arts—one that understands that anything worth doing is worth doing badly, but also understands that it must get done. We need to train ourselves, and the next generation, to see art not as a leisurely escape but as a trade, one that has real-world consequences. This is the future of marketing, advertising, and content creation.

Completion isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. It’s time to shift our mindset and recognize that, just like the plumber who fixes your sink, we too must learn to finish the work, and we must learn to do it now.