Creativity, the Mother of Technology Leading Digital Disruption and Beyond

The age of disruption belongs to the creatives of the world. By its very definition, creatives have made their mark on all aspects of society. Through the creative, we have seen the birth of music, art, literature, dance, scientific inventions, theatre, television, fashion and food, shaping the world and giving meaning to the lived experience of humanity. As we enter the age of Web 3.0, immersive technology and what is set to be an all-consuming virtual reality, it is clear that technology has elevated the creative economy, triggering an evolution for the better. So, who are these enigmas, these creatives who rule the future?

"Essentially, it is the knowledge-based economic activities upon which the 'creative industries’ are based. The creative industries – which include advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, research & development, software, computer games, electronic publishing, and TV/radio – are the lifeblood of the creative economy." While the breadth and depth of these individual industries would fill thousands of pages, let's hone in on a handful of aspects demonstrating how technology has initiated the digital era, enhancing the creative economy.

An extension of human capacity and efficiency, technology has freed the mind, opening the realm of expression for more extraordinary imagination and creativity which has resulted in innovation. Intelligentchannels.com highlights: "Innovation happens by continuously improving a process or product, and technology has contributed to improving many of these." As a medium through which to create and distribute products, technology removes the mundanity that creatives are naturally averse to, making the creative process a lot more sophisticated over time.

Tech over time

If we are to backtrack to the early days of the industrial economy with a look at the evolution of communication and the birth of media, it is the advent of machines such as the printing press, keyboards and computers, all the way to the advanced applications we now have that have digitized writing and reading, now even detecting spelling and grammar errors, allowing dictation to typing etc., that have all been examples of technology fundamentally transforming a creative skill and industry. In the case of artists, paintings, portraits, and technical drawings which took months to complete are now completed in a matter of hours. Similar examples can be drawn looking at the music, photography, and film industries. More than just increasing efficiencies, drastically reducing tedious creative processes and the time it takes to complete a project, the effects of digital technologies have been felt further down the value chain too.  

The Age of Digital Content

Since the introduction of social media technologies to society, creatives have capitalized on the functionality of platforms such as the likes of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify to digitize their creative products and extend their audiences for consumption of those products. This has resulted in an opportunity for the creative to monetise their creativity in a much quicker manner and package it in a more attractive, more accessible format than ever before.

In its ability to transcend time, space, language, and cultural barriers allowing for global collaborations in real-time, technology has opened an international economy to artists, making their local markets far less saturated. The role of the content creator, which did not exist as a title until the last decade, has proven to be a significant equalizer leveling the playing field for those with or without resources to create quality content, giving creatives new opportunities to showcase their talent and capabilities not just to potential employees or customers, but to the world over.

According to Musa Kalenga, Group CEO of advertising agency, The Brave Group, the latest mega-trend is around purpose. “Use purpose as your oxygen. Everything you do and what you stand for must be in alignment. The new content creators of our age get this right instinctively: your content must resonate your purpose,” he said on a panel tackling the topic of Creatives in a Techified World at the first Tech Entrepreneurship Xperience event hosted by the Innovator Trust.

Adding her voice to the conversation, Nontando Mposo, Editor-in-Chief of South Africa’s Glamour magazine, noted the shift towards greater individuality brought on by social media technology. “People want to see the real you. People gravitate towards people and work that they feel they can believe,” she said.

Catch more highlights from T.E.X 2022 here

In a look toward a future world governed more and more by technology, it is safe to say that creativity and technology are perhaps, inseparable. Creatives have pioneered the most remarkable tech inventions by tapping into a realm of boundless imagination. We must caution to not become so caught up in the functionality of technology that we neglect to push the ante on the creativity that enables an increasingly immersive digital world.

"The creative economy is the part of the economy that tells our stories, and the creative works we leave behind as a society are likely to define how future generations understand us." Deloitte UK