On Creativity

 I recently got an inquiry that intrigued me:

First and foremost, thank you for considering my thoughts on this question. I'm by no means an expert in either China or A.I. but I am interested in both. I am grateful to intrigue anyone with my work.

There are many things I took with me when I came to China, one of those being the creativity that had been fostered from my childhood. I had considered that China gifted me the luxury of a lifestyle that allowed me to express that creativity, but then I thought long and hard.

Dredge of Decay, my first novel which took influence from my time in China, was first conceptualized in 2017. I worked on my outline for ages, sometimes shelving it entirely. While living in China, I took photographs, spoke to strangers, and explored little-reached neighborhoods. In my head, I was observing the stories and everyday lives of people, something I naturally tend to do no matter where in the world I am. I was convinced that my story would take place in a very specific neighborhood, and I was also convinced that I was researching for the inevitable writing of that novel.

I removed some specific references to China from my book because I was scared at that time that I might offend someone somehow. I'm less scared of that now. I was never very politically disruptive with my art despite it being grotesque.

But, I never wrote the novel until after I left. In fact, I didn't begin writing that novel until 2020. I was displaced in 2021. It was published on June 15, 2022. The reason for that is that I was so busy enjoying a place that was so different than where I grew up. My intrigue in mainland China stemming from almost completely mutually exclusive media accessibility/interest is no secret. It was also because of a bright social life and a generally difficult work schedule as an in-home tutor for the top company in the country in my industry.

I guess I haven't been able to experience being a career creative in China, but I have written about some avant-garde artists there and have always been interested in alternative music there as well. It is inherently more punk to be punk and counter-culture in China and should be treasured. I think that those who choose to break away do so with a desperation in their art that isn't often found elsewhere.

I don't think there are many people who will disagree with me when I say that although the arts are celebrated in China, creativity isn't seen as much of a practical skill, and while young people are endlessly talented, families want their children to succeed in something more tangible. That's how it is in all kinds of places, isn't it?

Even though I am spoiled by an American upbringing, I still also feel as if I'm particularly blessed in being supported through my tumultuous endeavors in the arts.

When it comes to A.I. I think it's instrumental to the modern creative success of young people who are not encouraged to find their own style and expression, but I don't think it's close to replacing artists, especially not writers. I've recently met a Chinese man who uses A.I. as an instrumental tool in his design career and has found a great interest in it.

While there is a formula to some writing, I've never found that it works terribly well for me, and most of my favorite novels aren't really coherent in terms of plot but are considered works of art.

There's that saying that you have to master the rules to break them, and I think that will become more instrumental in creating unique and worthwhile art moving forward.

All that to say that I think we've always loved a wide variety of art because we never had to question the authenticity of it in this way, and I hope that A.I. will bring forth an era where we embrace unique and different formats of storytelling and leave the things that can be so easily imitated in the past. My opinion might change, I haven't really been able to fully comprehend the directions in which we are moving societally anymore.