Renaissance 2.0; The Resurgence of Creation

There’s no need to call us starving artists anymore. Most of us in Gen Z know how to make ends meet, attain our goals, and still have time to do what we love. Gen Z continues to break barriers and create new lanes for others to follow, or in this case, reopen older lanes. I am amongst the mass of my peers choosing to make our careers in artistic fields. Gen Z has decided, almost in unison, that our happiness will always be worth more than a paycheck. Though stability is part of our goals, we all start somewhere. At the start, everything is about exposure — how much can we do to grab someone’s attention for more than 3 seconds.

“Gen Z has decided, almost in unison, that our happiness will always be worth more than a paycheck.”

Once we’ve built a diverse portfolio, many of us are more than willing to begin our creative careers with contracting and/or volunteer opportunities. Eventually we all realize our worth and that working for free is quite unstable, especially if you’re working 2+ jobs (counting creating, because that is a job). As we begin to understand how to value ourselves and our time, self-respect, self-worth, and confidence is attained in the hustle of it all.

There are still many of us in Gen Z that have chosen “practical” careers. And honestly, kudos to them! It takes a level of skill, patience, and diligence to keep society functional, and some of us aren’t built that way. We don’t need parents and grandparents urging us to become doctors and lawyers if that isn’t what we desire. Those same people also urge us to live to the fullest because time is futile.

“If we all chose the routes our parents envisioned for us, who would stimulate the imaginations and emotions of future generations?”

There will always be people that work numbers and save lives because there are so many that desire to serve in those ways. Let us be painters, illustrators, animators, MUA’s and hair stylists, photographers and videographers, poets, fashion and graphic designers, sculptors, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, chefs, bakers, etc. If we all chose the routes our parents envisioned for us, who would stimulate the imaginations and emotions of future generations? If we’re all in “practical careers”, who will breathe life into the daily routine?

Gen Z has been referred to as the “Generation of Entrepreneurs” being that so many of us have the drive and persistence needed, as well as adaptability to use what’s readily available and create magic from it. We don’t move at the same pace. There are peers of mine who’ve taken the new year to begin their career. It’s not about when we start, it’s the fact that we’ve started. We’re putting plans into fruition. We’re sharing our plans with one another and respecting them. There’s no better way to learn than through action.

“We communicate well with one another therefore the transfer of ideas and information constantly sweeps through us like notes being passed in a classroom.”

I started my writing career when I wrote for my high school’s literary magazine. This year I’m releasing my second book, “Unfinished Love Letters to Thyself”. My peer, @damelaflare on Instagram, began her career in 2020 as a fashion designer. She’s currently finishing her winter collection and prepping for a photoshoot after selling out within weeks of her first drop! As we conversed we realized that we’d come to the same resolution– collaboration must happen on every level possible, and if not, then commissioned work. We communicate well with one another therefore the transfer of ideas and information constantly sweeps through us like notes being passed in a classroom.

“It’s guaranteed that if we’re uncertain of something, you could DM 3 friends and one of them will be able to confirm or deny.”

It’s guaranteed that if we’re uncertain of something, you could DM 3 friends and one of them will be able to confirm or deny. We strengthen each other’s skills because we’re more concerned with getting one of us up top than who it is. If one of us takes a spot at the top, it makes room for more of us to join them. And truly it’s about collaboration, yet along the way our roles have been funneled into an individualized sense; “what can you contribute to keep the gears turning?” Gen Z tends to collaborate heavily amongst each other, but we aren’t in CEO chairs. If newer powerhouses in the arts aren’t given opportunities to collaborate with well known names, how are we expected to hold torches to light our way into the future?

The Takeaway

We desire collaboration between big brands and us. Give more of us a shot for your campaigns, allow us to be creative directors and heads of design. We may not have formal experience, but as you dig deeper, each one of us has a reason we’re driven onto this path as well as anomalous experience. The best way to create outside of the box ideas is to bring in people that have never been inside of the box.