"Humans are fascinating creatures; ones who are innovative and passionate and curious above all else. To create art for art’s sake is an aspect of humanity that I feel has become somewhat of a lost art (full pun intended). There is beauty in creativity and the process of channeling emotions into various mediums of storytelling is something I would not be able to carry on without. "

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TikTok and I have a love-hate relationship. On the one hand, I find enrichment in scrolling for far too many hours in my insane schedule watching cooking videos, cat videos, and poetry slideshows all while neglecting my pressing work and school deadlines. On the other hand, TikTok has seemed to spark a breeding ground for pretentious and often ill-informed takes on the philosophy of art.

 

The rhetoric that seems to circulate the app is one of if it’s not good, don’t share it. 

 

This, I feel, is a dangerous hill to die on.

 

Humans are fascinating creatures; ones who are innovative and passionate and curious above all else. To create art for art’s sake is an aspect of humanity that I feel has become somewhat of a lost art (full pun intended). There is beauty in creativity and the process of channeling emotions into various mediums of storytelling is something I would not be able to carry on without. 

 

There is fundamentally no such thing as “good” or “bad” art—there is simply a cycle of creations to be enjoyed by different people. There is such a thing as a progression in one’s craft, I know I certainly would not dare show even my closest companions my earlier writing pieces but regardless, my most proud pieces would not exist without the birth of the rocky beginnings. Art is meant to be enjoyed, and I thoroughly enjoyed creating my more novice pieces even if I would not show them to the public sphere today. Everything is a process, nobody is born a master, but everybody is born with the ability to create.

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I hesitated over the wording in my last sentence, contrary to popular internet belief, I don’t believe the sole goal of art is to become a master—I believe the sole purpose of this wonderful ability native to humanity should be to express it in every way possible, there is no scale that can judge the beauty of living. 

 

The world needs more art, and it would be a devastating loss to the world should people be discouraged from expressing their creativity out of fear of not being good enough.

 

Please, share your art. Share the messiness of it, the rough edges, every smudge and every typo—the world is nothing without it, and we are all better humans for it. 

 

Internet culture, specifically TikTok culture is one that above all else, uplifts profound and revolutionary creations and visionaries. This is not to discourage those very real and very valid praises, it is however to shine light on the fact that you do not have to break barriers in order to call yourself an artist. You do not have to be published to be a poet, your work in a gallery to be a painter, or anyone to know your name to embrace the identity of an artist. 

 

To create art for art’s sake is perhaps the only good thing one can measure an otherwise immeasurable practice of expression. So please, make more of it.