Worldwatch Institute are publishing a report on 12 January, entitled ‘State of the World 2010: From Consumerism to Sustainability’. From a quick skim read of the preview of the report, it looks like it will be an important contribution to helping move forward the culture change that is required.
However, I believe that there is a fundamental flaw with it. Whilst it sets out the background to the consumerist state that we now inhabit (for example, in at least 10 languages, consumer is interchangeable with person – my argument that our identity is now as consumers), it does not provide an alternative to consumerism. Sustainability in itself is not an alternative to consumerism. It is the goal of where we want to get to, but it is not how we are going to get there. As consumerism is the root cause of the unsustainable situation that we are now in, we need to define what the alternative is that will lead to the sustainable future that we desire. As consume is the verb, the action that defines our lives at the moment, what do we want the verb to be which will define our lives in the future?
I believe that verb, that action is to create. As we have become defined by consuming and become consumers, my hope, my vision is that we will become defined by creating and become creativists.
I have chosen to use the word creativist rather than creator. Creator implies an individual creating on their own (plus has unhelpful religious overtones). My definition of a creativist is of a person creating with other people, with a common good in mind. The definition needs revision, and I would welcome any input, but hopefully it provides a good starting point. It is important that we consume less, but also that we create together more.
We talk of a post-consumer society, but don’t paint a picture of what the future looks like. Sustainability is too vague, it means different things to different people – and it is not a doing word. I believe that if we start to paint a picture of a creativist future, in which people are free to use and enjoy their inherent creative talents, we will start to create that shift. And the great thing is that the evidence of that shift is starting to occur. For example, a recent New York Times headline was ‘The New Normal – Buying Less, Doing More’. We need to do all that we can to accelerate this shift – and make it attractive to people, the natural choice.
If we are really going to manifest culture change, we need to start to change the language that is used in society, as the language that we use defines our world. So, as a start, each time you hear the word ‘consumer’, think about what difference it would make if the word ‘creativist’ was used instead – how would it change the dynamic, how would people be acting and behaving differently? Please share your examples, and I will do the same.
If you would like to find out more about ‘creativist’, my Creativist Manifesto will be published on Changethis.com later this month. I will keep you posted.
In place of creativist society we can talk about efficient (or efficientist) society where individual believes in efficiency i.e maximizing output and minimizing input.
Thank you for comment. The concept of minimising input is an important one.