How The Love Of Money Defiles Creativity

April 25, 2012 11 Comments


Money and Creativity are terrible lovers but also best friends. They need each other but they cannot live together.

When money seduces creativity and takes her to bed, the soul of creativity is often damaged and hurt beyond recognition.

I write this because I felt the cruel hand of money as a bad lover and not a friend. The truth is I may have flirted with money but I never allowed myself to be seduced: I wasn’t wooed, I was raped.

And this is why our screenplay, the wildly creative and outrageous “The Emancipation Of Putz”  has to this day never been made into a movie.

The men with the money promised to love her forever, but they were filled with greed, they loved no other except their own.

 

P:S: This is the sixth  in a series of blogs chronicling my adventures in Los Angeles over the last 3 years. See “How the F@*k Did I Get Here” to begin the adventure.

2012 Copyright Seven Sentences – Money and Creativity

About GeoffTalbot: Geoff Talbot is the founder of this Creative Blog. He loves writing words that encourage creative people.

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  • Rebecca Tatum

    when the excitement of new romance fades, you are left wanting more… Wondering how something that once seemed so good could go so wrong.  Then you realize that money puts on a better show than the rest, but is just as disgusting. Money can never selflessly express undying agape love.  Money wants.  Money gets.  And then creativity is left used, abused and defiled.  But unlike money, creativity can never be corrupted.  It can be altered, but never silenced.  Money comes and goes, but I say viva la creativity.  :) 

    • http://sevensentences.com Geoff Talbot

      Money puts on a better show but is just as discussing. I’m not averse to money, it is a necessary and neutral commodity, it just can’t exist in the central places in our hearts

      • http://writerswritingwords.com/grammata-letters-beach-on-syros-island/ Eleni Poulakou

        In Greek language, the word for money is “hrima” (χρήμα) and it originates from the verb “hromai” (χρώμαι), which means “I use”
        Money is sthg to use — not the other way round :)

  • http://writerswritingwords.com/grammata-letters-beach-on-syros-island/ Eleni Poulakou

    When it was day they came into my house and said, `We shall only take the smallest room here.’
    They said, `We shall help you in the worship of your God and humbly accept only our own share in his grace’; and then they took their seat in a corner and they sat quiet and meek.
    But in the darkness of night I find they break into my sacred shrine, strong and turbulent, and snatch with unholy greed the offerings from God’s altar.
    * by Rabindranath Tagore, “Gitanjali” (Song Offerings)

    • http://sevensentences.com Geoff Talbot

      I love this… it is true, their promises are often false

  • Kendall Lyons

    This is such a true to life issue. If one is driven by money, it makes you wonder what they are willing to do or where they are willing to go to continue such a dangerous and ramped drive. 

    • http://sevensentences.com Geoff Talbot

      creative endeavors can and should produce financial results, but the posture of the heart can’t be to simply make money… this is probably true with what ever we do… selfish gain destroys the soul

  • Mav

    Money in itself is a tool (as Eleni has already posted). It has enabled specialisation in society, so that a farmer may trade with a potter rather than each be forced to both farm food and make their own pottery (which is *much* less efficient), and so that other goods and services may be exchanged for what each has to offer.

    Does the potter merely make creative pieces of art so that he himself is satisfied with his work, or does he attempt to provide what others need, so that he has enough to meet his own needs? I think it is important to separate both creativity for ones own pleasure (that may or may not be widely commercial), and creativity expressly for the services of others, using the skills you possess to meet their needs before your own. 

    Perhaps it is important to separate these dual goals. We all need to eat, and have a roof over our heads, and as such must meet the needs of the market with the skills we have.  At the same time though we may be driven to *also* produce work that satisfies ourselves and a few others first and foremost, and is not aimed at satisfying the marketplace, or meeting our base needs to eat and have a place to live.

    Money in itself is not evil, it provides a very open means to trade goods and services between various skills-sets in the market.  In that sense it is very effective at what it does. To avoid disillusionment it is important to not feel like you need to sell your best creative work in order to eat. That is an act of desperation. Better to sell them what they need/ want, and have enough surplus from doing so that you can carry out your own creative work as and how you like.

     

    • http://sevensentences.com Geoff Talbot

      Hmmm interesting… in my opinion creating solely for ones own pleasure is as selfish as solely creating for monetary gain. True creativity gives without thinking… I think work created out of this heart will undoubtedly resonate with others and generate a financial return to the artist. I think the paradox is that the more we try to simply make money from our art, the less likely we are to succeed? Thoughts anyone?

  • http://twitter.com/SidKali Sid Kali

    Loved the post. One of the best from 7 Sentences I’ve read this month. It got my attention and got me thinking about it all. Money and creativity were described honestly by Geoff.

    I  can only talk about making movies if a producer relies on money from film investors that has to be paid back. Like one of the other posters put it well, “money in itself is a tool.” If you need film investor money you’re going to have to payback it back by making a movie that sells.

    If it’s your own money or crowd funding that doesn’t need to be paid back you can get more creative without compromising your overall screenplay and what is filmed to make it appeal to film buyers.

    I make movies with the idea that  I won’t play fast and loose with other people’s money if they are backing a movie as an investment.

    It would suck to tell film investors I won’t compromise my creative vision, but I will your money.

    I think most indie filmmakers know the right calls to make based on where the money to make their movie comes from.

    As always 7 Sentences sparks people talking. Fantastic blog. Cheers! 

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