Yesterday felt revelatory.
A giant leap!
But where is yesterday’s revelation today?
Spending lengths of time researching, reflecting and locating where the concerns in my practice reside, at times it is difficult to grasp the imperceptible movements that take effect, when there is no instrumental evidence to measure it by, or, when in the moment, small shifts, which may at first appear insignificant, require time to unfold and reflect their impact.
At the end of the text ‘How to be an Artist by Night’, RAQS Media Collective refer to ‘non-instrumental activities’ as the freedom of ‘reflexivity’ outside ‘the logic of production’ and a ‘refuge’ from ‘productive tension’, that can ‘hinder…preparation’. Defining ‘immaterial cultural goods’ as being ‘inseparable’ and essential to an art practice, RAQS defend the necessary requirement to make ‘conditions and initiat[e]…networks of solidarity and sociality that enable the making of art’, reflecting upon the ‘quality of time…as a vessel and receptacle of reflection’.[1]
In response to RAQS’s reference to the artist, as one who ‘…by night, in dreams, recovers what the ‘no-collar’ worker lost by day’, in relation to the article ‘Meet the no-collar workers’, here, Clarke defines the birth of the no-collar worker as having been led by the current social media boom, which she defines as having restructured the hierarchical ‘top-down culture’ formerly graded upon credentials and categorised into ‘white-collar’ and ‘blue-collar’ workers. Referencing the Global Management consultancy firm McKinsey, she reflects upon ‘crowdsourcing’ as a ‘strategy’ that has ‘moved past outdated hierarchies to better embrace [a] workforce’, that, she states; has ‘developed leaders at all levels…empowering the potential of everybody’, through ‘radical inclusion and egalitarianism’.
Clarke continues the article, by paying reference to Jane Asscher; managing partner and chairman of creative agency 23red, who refers to the term ‘cultural consumption’ as being the ‘key to any experience and connectivity’, highlighting how the skill of knowing how to engage with your ‘audience’ through ‘work as well as the wider world – has never been more vital to business success’. Turning to Henry Mason; head of research and analysis at consumer trends firm Trendwatching who reflects upon the credentials of ‘social currency’ and ‘the success of social businesses’ being due to the ‘Millennials[2]…looking to…work with or for, brands that make a difference to society’ and Helen Rose; senior director of research and insight at MTV’s parent company Viacom, who responds to ‘the value of Millennials both in the workplace and as consumers’, as a ‘generation that was taught at an early age that their opinion matters’, Clarke reflects upon the ‘company brand’, as having had to develop new ‘rules of engagement’, driven by social confidence and new expectations of being ‘listen[ed] to and respect[ed]’.[3]
If we turn to the recent success of the social industry; blogging, to reflect upon the social currency of this self-generated industry, in the article; ‘On Young Industries (Part 1) Blogging’, Larson speaks to the empowerment within this ‘unpredictable’ business, stating; ‘If you can dream it, it’s probably possible’. Paying reference to this ‘rapidly-evolved’ industry as a ‘job creator’, Larson highlights the dynamic freedom and growth experienced through her own blogging business, stating ‘As we get older, get interested in new things, and have a spark for new opportunities we’re able to take our blog in any direction that we want’. Considering this business as having ‘no formal route of education that can help you secure a job in this field’ as ‘there are no career guidelines that we have to follow’, Larson iterates how to work within this mode of production, you require to undertake ‘continually evolving groundwork’, defining the blogger as having to make their ‘own rules’ and ‘guide’ their own ‘careers in the direction we’d like them to go’.[4]
On reflection, reiterating RAQS defence of the artist as requiring to make necessary ‘conditions and initiat[e]…networks of solidarity and sociality that enable the making of art’, it is clear that this network has become equally as important to digitally led businesses and their ‘no-collar’ workforce, since the consumer has become more socially involved in moral ethics, community, the global economy, and sustainability. In this sense, it feels like the generosity of ‘social currency’ is breaking down the division of RAQS day and night roles. Regarding RAQS reference to the term ‘trajectory’, as a force that can direct us in to ‘unintentional’ and ‘unpredictab[le]’ destinations, if we consider overlaps between time frames, allowing shared stories and meanings to intercourse, it is becoming clearer to see how the things we experience spill over and into one another, forming new ways of thinking and generating new networks between the different environments in which we discourse.
Considering the ‘extrinsic’[5] value of social culture, it has never been easier to acquire what we are looking for or stumble across unexpected insights, that can take our thinking into new directions. Reflecting back to RAQS text, in which, they reference ‘the world opening itself up’ and ‘School is never out’, with every new advancement made within social media, digital platforms, such as; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, are tools with which we can synthetically follow in the footsteps of a network of shared experiences, through perspectives which interconnect and continuously expand.
[1] Steven Henry Madoff. ‘Art School: (propositions for the 21st Century)’. MIT Press Ltd. 2009. p71-81
[2] Nicola Clarke. ‘Meet the no-collar workers’. Online Source: http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/1136886/meet-no-collar-workers. June 2012. Source Date: Dec 2016
Clarke characterizes ‘Millenials’ as being born ‘into an online world…between 1980 and 2000’.
[3] IBID
[4] Elsie Larson, Emma Chapman. ‘A Beautiful Mess’. Online Source: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/about-elsie.html. Source cited: Dec 2016
A Beautiful Mess launched by Elsie Larson, expanded as a company in 2010 and currently employs six full-time salaries and several more part-time and freelance positions. An online blogging company ‘focused on women’s lifestyle…as well as mobile and tablet apps, books and products,‘ the Beautiful Mess ethos is described as ‘…doin’-it-yourself, always learning, trying, failing, dreaming big, enjoying the small stuff, and above all else…embracing imperfection. Life is better when it’s a little bit messy.’
[5] The OED references the origin of the term extrinsic as;
‘Not part of the essential nature of someone or something; coming or operating from outside.’
Online source: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/extrinsic. Source cited: Dec 2016