A few weeks ago my good friend Chin, sent me a message that read "Competition happens at the bottom. The people at the top are collaborating.
This idea hasn't left my mind since he shared it. I began asking myself, does the creative landscape allow for collaborative spaces or are the platforms that are in places designed to create division?
For a long time, I thought that photography was something that I could do without the need to involve anyone else. I could just charge my batteries, load up a couple of SD cards, and pick the camera I wanted to use and the lenses I wanted to take.
Now, with a refreshed perspective I feel that to create art, there is a sense of collaboration taking place.
As a point of reference for myself, I look at the image I made at the beginning of this post. My shadow is contrasted against a white skull that another artist made on top of a brick wall that another person laid out. On the right of the image, a person is walking into the light which is also a joint force in this image. Without all of these efforts in place, this image could not have come to life.
Collaboration is a powerful and uplifting aspect of life and it has elevated so many forms of progress that its impact is undeniable.
In conclusion, the concept of collaboration in the creative landscape deserves our attention and exploration. While competition may exist at the bottom, it is the collaborative efforts of individuals at the top that truly drive progress and elevate art forms.
The platforms and spaces available to us should be designed to foster collaboration rather than create division. As artists, we can discover the power of collaboration when we embrace the idea that our talents can be magnified through the collective efforts of others.
The image shared earlier serves as a poignant reminder of how diverse contributions can harmoniously blend, breathing life into something that would not have been possible otherwise. Let us continue to recognize and embrace the uplifting force of collaboration, as it has the potential to shape and transform our creative journeys in profound ways.