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Florence Ng (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

In Brene Brown’s Gift of Imperfection, she emphasises creative expression as a key part of living wholeheartedly, and by engaging in creative activities, one begins to let go of comparison to others as a measure of self-worth. But what if you are not a creative person? If creativity is inherent to all human beings, yet you lack the practice and skill to execute creative visions, can you still create art? 

More importantly, does your art have value? 

In the mythos of Vincent Van Gogh’s story, he did not always possess the skills to match his creativity. Instead, his life was dedicated to continuously cultivating these skills to eventually cement a legacy he would never see. Most people, including children, can technically put ideas onto paper by drawing colourful shapes and vague resemblances of common nouns, but whether that can be considered art and what the boundary into artistry may be is a whole different discussion. Indeed, the monetary value of art can feel rather arbitrary to those of us who do not work professionally within the art world. 

For many artists, self-expression can take on many forms, and many place the emphasis on one’s personal growth and journey. Art can have great personal value, especially as a therapeutic way of meditating on and expressing one’s ideas, thoughts, and feelings. It can take on so many forms, from traditional media like paint and sculpture to embodying modes of expression like singing and dancing to modern engines of creativity like social media.

In today’s world, creativity, art, and the skills to create art are in the midst of intense discourse, particularly since the latter half of 2022. With the explosion of interest in artificial intelligence generators, it seems that anybody can “create” art by manifesting creative visions with mere taps on a keyboard. Such “artists” even sell their artwork to people who may understand how it all works. On one side of the discourse, AI art is an inevitable part of the future. On the other side, it is blatant theft. Can AI art be considered creative simply because it looks professionally done? If so, does it have value? 

In my personal point of view, it is difficult to say what the value of art may be in the midst of this fiery and historically significant part of art history. It is harder still to predict the future of art. While I am not a professional artist myself, I cannot help but lament the current state of lawlessness among AI users threatening the livelihood of artists everywhere. I do believe that human beings are inherently creative and that everyone can benefit from a safe place to create. However, I also believe that personal gain should never be at the expense of others.

My advice to people who consider themselves less creative is to try everything. The act of creation is not about perfection—your personal art does not have to be “good” for it to be meaningful or valuable. If drawing is a challenge, perhaps you’ll find more enjoyment out of sewing, baking, or simple methods like paint-pouring. Even taking the time to snap pictures of flowers along the sidewalk can bring about the therapeutic quality of art. 

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Hello! My name is Florence, and I’m an educator, storyteller, traveller, avid board game collector and curious, lifelong learner, among many other things. I’m passionate about human connection and mental well-being, and I love meeting new people!