Welcome to Creativity Under Capitalism: a newsletter-slash-blog about recovering, practicing, and protecting your creativity in a socioeconomic environment that would rather you do pretty much anything else.
For those I haven’t met yet, my name is Adrianna, and I’m a freelance writer who quit my corporate career in 2022 to begin working for myself full-time. Though the writing I do for work isn’t exactly the artistic type, the flexibility offered by my new career has helped me investigate my relationship with creativity, as well as connect on a deeper level with people who have their own creative aspirations.
In chatting with these folks, I’ve come to notice a trend: People are struggling to pursue their craft under the pressure of our current economic and social circumstances. Whether it’s a matter of writing for themselves instead of some imaginary market, navigating the internet’s ever-changing content hurdles, or finding time to paint outside of a busy job, creatives are having a tough time balancing their own artistic fulfillment with society’s expectations—which are often set and reinforced by money.
As a recreational creative writer, I’ve seen many of these themes pop up in my own life. I know how painful it can be to want to create, or want to share your work with the world, but ultimately be held back by fear, exasperation, or simply a lack of time. And while I can’t speak for others, I suspect I’m not the only person who’s felt a weird, empty pit inside herself that can only be filled by creative pursuit.
To be clear, I don’t claim to have the answers to any of these issues. In fact, what makes creativity under capitalism so challenging is the fact that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, and what works for one person might not work for the next. But I do think there’s value in pondering and discussing the nuances of this conundrum in a public space, especially when the alternative is to keep that madness to myself. At best, this newsletter will spark some productive (uh oh, capitalist buzzword!) ideas for a few readers; at worst, it’ll show my fellow creatives that they’re not alone.
If that sounds like a balm for your little creative heart, I welcome you to subscribe. If you’re on the fence, feel free to check out a few FAQs below.
FAQ:
What can I expect from signing up for this newsletter?
1. Thoughts about balancing creative expression and experimentation with work, others’ expectations, and the gloriously (and horifically) weird puzzle that is the world wide web.
2. No more than one email every two weeks. These will typically arrive every other Friday.
3. The use of the terms “creative” and “creativity”—like, a lot.
Do I have to pay you anything?
No—this newsletter is currently 100% free. I might eventually introduce paid tiers that allow readers to support my efforts while gaining access to special perks, but even then, free subscriptions will always be the default.
Do I have to be a writer to benefit from Creativity Under Capitalism?
Nope! While this newsletter will have a bit of a writer’s slant, most of its musings will apply to other creative outlets. You don’t have to already engage with those outlets, either; if you’ve felt that an artistic piece of yourself is missing, this newsletter is also for you.
Do I have to hate capitalism to benefit from Creativity Under Capitalism?
Not necessarily. For better or worse, capitalism doesn’t tend to care what our feelings are about it—it impacts us regardless. And even if you’re comfortable with capitalism in theory, you can still be uncomfortable with (and seek solutions for) some of its effects.
Heads up, though: This newsletter will look at capitalism with a critical eye. If that’s going to upset you, I’d suggest closing this tab and looking up cat TikToks or something instead.