Amateur Creativity: Pathway to a Paradigm Shift

Lawrence Lessig is an author whose books should definitely be on your “get to” list. He is an expert on the Internet, creativity, and commerce. Great combination, eh? (To read the rest of this post, click on “Read Me” below.)



Lessig is the author of such books as The Future of Ideas, Remix, Code, and Free Culture. The main thesis throughout his work is that advanced technology has created the possibility of “amateur creativity.” But this phrase is not used in the pejorative. On the contrary, Lessig believes that humanity can now do more than recite and assimilate lessons in school. With the advent of the Internet, websites, and blogs, people have outlets to create their own work, usually emulating others they have seen or read online.

Is this bad? If so, then the curriculum goals of schools—seldom if ever read by anyone at all—have been off the mark. In Liberal Arts, goal statements have long aimed toward students nurturing the creative side of their personalities. They may not become the next Hemingway or Faulkner, but the right side of the brain is finally being developed. Art is giving science a run for its money.

This relates to two of my former posts: Literary Chaos Theory and Finding Your Own Narrative Voice. The latter advocated imitation as a path to ultimately discovering a distinctive style. The first put forth the belief that ideas and creativity cannot be stifled indefinitely by the major publishing conglomerates. I think Lessig’s ideas are in total sync with these ideas (or for humility’s sake, I’m in sync with his.)

We are currently at the very beginning of a technology that is global and offers creative outlets that will surely evolve over the next decade. Think about it. Perhaps finally we will get past the “science and math” blah-blah and realize that the total mind must be educated. Science without art is impoverished and sterile. If this truly happens, innovation will indeed find a way to blossom in a climate in which the current publishing industry has put up its conglomerate roadblocks. In ten years, we may look back at POD titles or blogs and realize that they have given birth to a new paradigm in writing and the arts. And that’s a good thing.