How Content Kills Creativity

Artists are told to create "content" at a breakneck pace in order to feed algorithms. But what's the cost of this numbers game on our creativity and the art we love to make itself?

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[spenzakwsx]

you deserve to be picked up by a record label like "Erased Tapes Records". your music is incredible. I don't see somebody merging electronic music and high-level composition like you do very often. ❤

[andycordy]

Little Wolfie was pushed by his Dad into a musical circus as a uniformed servant, his training had a profound influence on what he produced to please people. Sometimes his passion and his genius shone through. It just so happens he was so much better at churning out content to please an audience than his contemporaries but his insistence on recognition for his artistic objectives made him an unpopular employee.
As a visual artist, philosopher and occasional composer, I have recognised that in exchange for my artistic freedom I need to do other stuff to be able to keep doing art. The struggle for me is not the acceptance that people are not coming to me for their art consumption but just making enough time to do art and to reserve enough energy to make it happen.
I've had to give up waiting tables (which I have loved) because nobody wants a 66 year old waiter who doesn't want to spend the rest of his life on keeping his appearance tuned to other people's requirements.

In short, I agree 100% with your sentiments.

[JanusCycle]

The hardest thing about about making YouTube videos is remembering to keep throwing out the rule book when creating. I don't mean not making a good thumbnail/title, catchy intro, all those top ten YouTube guru tips, blah blah. I mean sacrificing those things if necessary to create a remarkable work of art.
I listened to your album Somewhat the Same. Something remarkable happening here on your channel.

[jonmakesbeats]

There's a way to have your cake and eat it too. People want a story but music IS a story, you just have to learn how to draw it out and make it tangible for others to see it in the way you do. Keep going.

[dreikycaprice]

Not only does it kill creativity, it is killing the planet. Not hyperbole. Content takes a lot of energy from fossil fuels, "renewables, " and takes time from other things. It's important to consider all of the connections to be able to see the entire picture. We're not separate from the effects of resource mining to create our lifestyles.

All that aside :) I really appreciate your content, and even more than that I love your music. Thank you.

[zargaden]

Thank you. Your work may not be all about the views, but it is a guiding torch. A vital one.

[mdreid]

I can’t remember where I read it but the definition of burnout that resonated most with me was one that was business-oriented: “burnout is caused by a lack of return on emotional investment”.

[hntrnet]

I agree (and personally struggle) with a lot of what you have to say in this video. The reality is that there are also MORE ARTISTS THAN EVER and its not just enough to make "good music" and think thats going to connect. Its a very big part of a multilayered process. Gone are the days when you could be written up on a blog and reach a massive audience through your "awesome music" alone. We're now in an era where you (or someone on your team/label) need to spend just as much thought on the idea of making your marketing of the music stand out as much as the music.

[gunark]

‘Content’ is the detritus that good creativity has to try and break through to be noticed. It’s the awful music I am forced to hear when shopping for groceries, it’s the endless and pointless commentary from so-called influencers, its reality television. But the problem is that ‘content’ it’s the micro plastics of art, and it just makes people so drained that they just want nothing, not even good things.

Even as someone who makes music, I am fucking sick of hearing music EVERYWHERE, to the point where I don’t want to make any because my brain is so fatigued.

[lewdchew]

The synonym of content is the exact opposite of joy and bliss. It’s an appropriate word. Like your channel and music, my tastes are more in the sound of earth collapsing (hecker etc) but you have a lovely sound.

[CyberselfOfficial]

You're so respectable JNJ. Keep going.

[richardbarry]

Thank you for this video and others like it. You are one of only a handful of people on YouTube discussing the structure and psychology of composing music in this time of internet distribution and social media. You are a breath of fresh air (and indispensable) for us creatives trying to navigate the contemporary electronic music landscape. Also, your music is very high quality so keep putting time into your composing and sharing it even though the views are much less than your 'story' based content. 👌

[danielgreen]

I appreciate this video. It’s an adult talking. No hype. No clock ticking down on the latest ear training course discount or secret ingredient (for a price) that’s guaranteed to amp up my fan base.

I’m also impressed by the quality of comments elicited by the video.

To maintain your well being, longer intervals between videos and/or shorter videos may be advised. While I would miss the output, I think it would ultimately allow you to sidestep burnout, keep the quality level at a high level, and provide more time for you to compose.

[onlyin.dreams]

"Any art requires craft, and craft requires experimentation and time" so perfectly succinct and powerful. Really captures the whole issue here

[jazsebastian]

%100 bro, its so hard goddamn, nothing is the same as when I decided to dedicate my life to this stuff, it's changed so much, such a shame, barrier to entry is pretty much non existent now, but everyone thinks they are a star and when there are too many "stars" and not enough fans it makes it so much harder to get the correct exposure we need to gain a following that's aware of our existence, that loves what we are creating and benefits from it.

[MikeRenouf]

I think the reason for huge amounts of (largely bland) content being produced by large corporations is that QUANTITY is probably the one tool with which they have left to compete. Smaller creators can frequently achieve the same level of QUALITY as corporations in any given niche.

This is 100% the topic on my mind right now too: I wonder deeply if there's a subtle pyramid scheme developing from all this. Music itself doesn't draw the attention or the spend that courses and products do. There's a huge incentive toward productizing a channel (and I'm not shy of stating that I'm exploring that route myself). But if your course and tools are purely intended to help other consumers turn themselves into more content creators, is that a healthy economy...?

I'm working on solving the riddle - would love to hear some ideas in response.

[ChadAV]

I agree. The term "content" itself pisses me off. That word tells you all you need to know about the current state of the internet. It's not "videos" or "music". It's now "content". Just constant sludge noise made purely to get in front of people while they mindlessly scroll through miles and miles of "content".

Think about it like this. What if Christopher Nolan or Stephen Speilberg started treating their movies like "content". They would probably be passable, but they would feel soulless. What if Pink Floyd decided to make "content" rather than music? That's a scary thought.

We need people TAKING RISKS and BEING THEMSELVES. We have enough "content" creators.

[devinbelangermusic]

Dude, I only just saw this and its by far my favourite video of yours. I couldn't agree more - trying to do Tiktok, Youtube, etc all regularly is essentially like drinking poison for my creativity. I go through pretty frequent burnout periods where I fully need to just even stop doing anything related to music, which I never used to have when I was just making music, and not trying to be a "content creator". Really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts about this.

[future]

There is a basketball channel I follow (SWISHOUT) that has a really good following and no release schedule. Dude just makes videos when he feels like it and they are always great, because he, as you greatly put it, only speaks when he has something to say. I think dealing with the algorithm on your own terms is the way to go, even if it means you're not optimizing for it.

[positivebacteriaculture]

I'm just seeing my youtube as a diary. If peoeple watch it I get happy. But defently guilty of naming my songs after the gear I'm using, just so I can get that extra 5 views. Degrading the song to a commercial.

Subbed your music channel <3