Popularity Contest

I asked this question the other day on Instagram while battling myself for the answer, what are you chasing as a creative? Is it 'Likes' on social media, is it personal accomplishment, is it global acclaim? What really drives you as an artist? Why do you create?

I somehow always find myself having this conversation with other creatives. Possibly it's my way of self-analyzing, asking myself the question, in fact. Possibly attempting to uncover my own pitfalls. As I expressed to a fellow shooter this past week, I found myself very much caught in the rat race of creating for Instagram; moving with the trend as opposed to stepping out in front and creating my own. Coming out on the other side of it, it's almost disgustingly noticeable but while I was in it, I became almost robotic in the way I would create. One thing about creativity is that it is not robotic or stiff but fluid, almost changing and adapting to it's environment. And as I was reminded by the homie Terrance (@cometotheparty), the fluidity is what's important.

The purpose of creating is to push - society, activism, craft or yourself. This is where purpose comes into play because in those moments of struggle, true progress is created. Life around us is constantly adding to our mental repertoire the more we experience. The key is to speak to yourself or to a specific person through what you are creating as art is supposed to imitate life & vice versa. But how do we shift our thought process to creating for longevity in the age of "Popcorn" art?

Follow Edna, my amazing muse for this risky night-time shoot. Expect more of this exploration in my coming shoots and please follow Edna on Instagram at : @eddiebugati