Why Making Art is an Act of Rebellion

In a culture obsessed with consumption, choosing to create is a radical act. We live in a world that prioritizes entertainment over artistry, where people will easily spend thousands on golf clubs without guilt but hesitate when it comes to investing in their creative practice. The message is clear: Art is optional, a hobby at best, and certainly not something to be taken seriously. But making art in a world that devalues it? That’s an act of defiance.

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Today let’s discuss how the act of making goes against the norm.

Consume vs. Create: The Cultural Norm

We are constantly encouraged to consume: streaming shows, scrolling social media, buying the latest gadgets. Art is often positioned as part of that consumption, something to watch, buy, or experience rather than something to make. Our culture values productivity and profit, so the question always lingers: What are you going to do with that painting, that poem, that song?

The idea that creativity must be justified in economic terms seeps into our decisions. We admire expensive handmade furniture but hesitate to invest in our own artistic tools. We celebrate bestselling authors but don’t prioritize time for our own writing. The expectation is that art must lead somewhere tangible, profitable, or at the very least, Instagrammable. 

But what if it doesn’t? 

What if making art for the sake of making it is enough?

Spending Money on Art vs. Other Luxuries

Consider how easily people justify spending money on certain hobbies. A new set of golf clubs? Absolutely. The latest tech upgrade? Necessary. But an artist buying quality brushes, a sketchbook, or a class? That often comes with guilt or scrutiny. Why?

This discrepancy speaks volumes about our values. Hobbies that align with capitalist ideals, ones tied to social status, performance, or tangible returns, are seen as worthwhile investments. Art, on the other hand, exists outside of these systems. It’s messy, personal, and unpredictable. It doesn’t guarantee success or validation. And that’s precisely why it matters.

Art as an Opener of Hearts and Minds

Creating art is more than self-expression, it’s an expansion of our capacity to feel, to see, and to empathize. It forces us to sit with discomfort, embrace imperfection, and persist through frustration. The very act of making something, especially in a world that tells us it’s frivolous, builds resilience.

And art doesn’t just change the creator. It changes the viewer. A powerful painting, a moving novel, a haunting melody… these things open minds, offering new perspectives and challenging deeply held beliefs. Art makes people feel, and in times of political and social division, that is revolutionary.

Why Art is Threatening to Capitalism

Art exists beyond capitalism’s rules. Would you still make art if you never made a dime from it? If no one ever saw it? If it didn’t lead to a career, a following, or a sale? The answer to these questions reveals just how radical art-making can be.

A culture that prioritizes efficiency and output struggles to understand art’s value. There’s no predictable ROI on creativity. There’s no quarterly report that measures joy, expression, or the quiet rebellion of making something that exists simply because it should exist. And that is precisely why art is so powerful. It’s a space where we can reclaim our autonomy, separate from financial pressures and external validation.

Navigating Art in Politically Charged Times

Personally and professionally, I wrestle with how I want to show up in a world that feels increasingly polarized. But here’s what I know in my bones: Helping people make art helps create a kinder, more inclusive world. Pause or mute what I’m about to say if you have littles around: people are much less likely to be assholes when they are connected to their art.

That may sound blunt, but research supports it. Dr. Stuart Brown’s work on play shows that a lack of creativity and play in childhood is correlated with higher rates of violent crime. If we lose our connection to creativity, we lose part of what makes us human. And in today’s climate, where division and anger run rampant, we need more spaces for self-expression, connection, and play.

Defining Rebellion

Rebellion doesn’t have to look like protests or political statements. It can be small, quiet acts such as choosing to spend an afternoon painting instead of doom-scrolling, prioritizing a creative practice that brings no financial return, making something that doesn’t fit into a neat category or marketable niche.

And art doesn’t have to be overtly political to have an impact. A painting of a mother and child, a poem about grief, a dance performed in solitude, these acts affirm our humanity in ways that systems of power cannot control. They remind us of our inner worlds, our emotions, and our ability to connect beyond rhetoric and ideology.

Artists as Canaries in the Coal Mine

Artists are sensitive souls, the canaries in the coal mine. But what does that phrase mean?

Historically, coal miners carried caged canaries into the mines. Canaries are small, delicate birds highly sensitive to toxic gases like carbon monoxide. If the air became dangerous, the canary would fall silent or die, warning the miners to evacuate before it was too late. These birds served as an early-warning system, alerting people to invisible but deadly dangers.

Artists play a similar role in society. We feel deeply, observe keenly, and reflect the world back to itself. Historically, artists have been at the forefront of social movements, cultural shifts, and moments of reckoning. Our work serves as both a mirror and a checkpoint for collective wellness. If artists are silenced, devalued, or dismissed, it’s often a sign of deeper societal dysfunction.

But making art in the face of that dismissal? 

That’s rebellion.

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Final Thoughts: Choosing Art Anyway

So, what’s the takeaway? Make your art. Make it badly, make it joyfully, make it without permission. Spend money on supplies without guilt. Take time to create even when the world tells you to be productive in other ways. Making art is an act of defiance, a reclaiming of time, space, and humanity in a culture that often tries to strip those things away.

The next time you wonder whether your art is worthwhile, remember: The very fact that the world tells you it isn’t is why you must continue.

As always, thanks so much for watching. 

Remember: proudly call yourself an artist.

Together we are Artist Strong.