"actually not helpful at all"
reading omayeli arenyeka's article "how to think differently about doing good as a creative person", in which she analyses the bilateral scale of how much actual "good" is being done by certain artists and their work, and especially who they perceive their contribution themselves.
here, she elaborates on "creative saviour complex", short CSC, in which artists create statement pieces without proper consideration, waste resources that could have been used in a more benficial way, or, at its worst, can lead to people getting hurt.
she points out that it is crucial to examine what objectives with taking on such task bring along, and more importantly - what does the artist want to achieve out of this situation? with those intentions clear, the general outline for the project will become more clear and intentional. why is this so important? because most artists that show evident signs of CSC have completely misunderstood the issue that they are dealing with, and it raises concern when their project is doing more harm than good. taking this one step further, artists who try and engage with social/political problems should make sure that the necessary foundation is built on mutual social connection, political interests and genuine, heartfelt empathy.
