At GANGGANG we ARE creatives and we LOVE creatives…
It’s true. GANGGANG is a Creative Firm founded by two creatives for the betterment of all creatives. But what do we mean when we say ‘creatives’ anyway? How do we define creativity, and who are we talking about when we uplift Blxck creatives specifically? Creativity has a broad definition, but here are 3 ways that we seek to define the word “creative”.
A “creative” is someone with a natural, unquenchable thirst to create.
It sounds simple, but first off we want to be clear that we define a “creative” as someone who uses their abilities to conjure something – anything! – into existence that would not be there without their influence. We can get into the weeds about whether creatives have the ability to make anything original, but that’s another conversation entirely. A “creative” can take materials or ideas that already exist and make something new out of them, or they can invent new materials and new ideas based on their experiences. Either way, these people are taking time and effort out of their day to piece together something (a painting, a process, a song, a vibe, a genre, a sound, a feeling) based on their experiences and intuitions. According to the Merriam Webster definition, a “creative” is “marked by the ability or power to create – a creative impulse.”
Anyone can create something, but not everyone is considered a “creative”.
A “creative” is passionate about creating.
Even though anyone can create something, a “creative “ is someone that can’t help but create. We want to be sure that the creatives within our ethos are passionate about creating. While anyone CAN create, we are passionate about the much smaller group of individuals that actually DO create. Creativity is not something that can be conjured at a moment’s notice. It is more of a practice, or a habit that gets less and less difficult the more you do it. Now, creatives take breaks, experience roadblocks, battle with daily life struggles etc. But something always brings you back to the drawing board if you are a passionate creative. Psychology Today released an article claiming that creativity itself must be fueled by passion. “Real-life creativity is the opposite [of short bursts of inspiration]; creators are passionate about their work, they spend a lot of time on it, and they devise problems and find opportunities for creation themselves.”
Can mental health issues prevent creatives from being creative? Of course they can. Does pure laziness strike every once and a while and prevent even the most hardworking creative from rising to the task of creativity? Often. But the kind of creatives we are describing here are the ones that cannot help but continue the chase of innovation, collaboration, and creativity that fuels your mind. There’s nothing like engaging your creative mind in a new and exciting task. Creatives all around the world understand exactly what we mean when we say – we feel it too. Keep creating, because you’re making the world a better place.
A “creative” challenges mindsets.
Speaking of making the world a better place, creatives have the power to challenge and often change mindsets. In times of dissonance and struggle, creatives take on a call to uplift, call out, and call in humanity to define a greater purpose. In the 90s, Lorna Simpson used contemporary photography juxtaposed with found objects to express the nuances of Black women (and men’s) hair. In a country that consistently denies job opportunities to people of culture based on their hair type – natural hair was (and is still is) a radical form of expression for Black women. In her book “Collages” the introduction begins with, “”Black women’s heads of hair are galaxies unto themselves, solar systems, moonscapes, volcanic interiors.”
In 2020, the pandemic coupled with the publicized murder of George Floyd created a ripple effect in the nation. Creatives all over the world took to the streets to materialize the pain and exhaustion of the Black community. The Smithsonian Museum of Art created a “George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art database” to archive “examples of street art from around the world that have emerged in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd as part of an ongoing movement demanding social justice and equality.” Creatives have the power to change narratives and inspire deeper connection. Whether it’s through music, visual arts, therapy, latte art, you name it! Anything can be used by a creative to challenge midsets and set a change in motion.
“Creative” still has a working definition…
However we feel about it, “creative” can mean so many different things. At GANGGANG we engage with so many different types of creatives on a daily basis. One constant we always see is passion. Creatives cannot help but create. And thank the stars because in a world full of tough sh*t, we can always lean on creatives to help us grow beyond our wildest dreams.