Response Reading -“How to think differently about doing good as a creative person” by Omayeli Arenyeka

This is a response reading to “How to think differently about doing good as a creative person” by Omayeli Arenyeka. In this article the author spoke on the fact that although creative tools, approaches, or projects could seem quite magical and useful that — we as creative individuals — don’t always hold the answers to everything. In other words, we should be transparent about our true intentions before jumping on a project in the notion of wanting to create something “for a good cause”, that often times our intent doesn’t always match the outcome which could result in waste of resources & potentially causing more harm than good.

ANALYSIS:

I like how the topic was being introduced by the author and the comparison that was made on how being a savior can result in a loop hole of manipulation. I felt called out and sensed the need to do some self reflection on my creative practice & work. Looking into aspects of my creative work where I might find myself guilty of embodying attributes that was mentioned by the author before even diving deep into the quantifiers that she used in measuring the Creative Savior Complex (CSC) — symptoms.

Upon reading this article as a designer & creative person, I felt a sense of duty that I owe it to myself to set out an honest & direct intent prior starting on any creative project by outlining clear objectives to help me stay on track in meeting my intended goal for every project.

INSIGHT:

I feel like this article is a conversation starter and creates the room & space to do some internal work of being honest & vulnerable as a creative. Something as simple as wanting to do good isn’t always about the intention but more about the actionable steps taken to accomplishing your intent — ex when the author highlighted the detour that the founders of “Good for POC” made out of the realization that their initial intent wasn’t being met as a result of them not being equipped to tackle the issue due to lack of resources. This speaks of empathy, purpose & transparency by putting the ego aside & redirecting your time & resources to other contributions that will help you accomplish your initial goal instead of forcing yourself to continue on a project that could cause more harm than good because you’re choosing to put your ego first before empathy.

I applaud the author for affirming that every creative work doesn’t have to be for a good cause but regardless of what your intentions are, that it’s important to be honest with yourself about these objectives from the get-go and even after starting the project to still have check-ins to ensure that you’re still on track with your initial goals.