Culture Share: Are We Ever Too Old to Emerge? Reframing the Artist’s Timeline
“What might emerge from us if we let go of urgency and allowed ourselves to bloom in our own time?”
This question arose in our culture share last week, and as someone who has swung between the pendulum of impatience and procrastination, I’m finally accepting that sometimes the idea you have today doesn’t have to be executed and acted upon tomorrow. Sometimes, jotting down the idea in your Notes app and coming back to it weeks, months, or even years later can have a significant impact on the final body of work. I’m learning a lot from younger artists when it comes to exploration and execution because the world they grew up in has allowed them to see things differently.
It goes deeper than that, though. For emerging creatives and artists, it can be difficult to get on the first rung of the ladder and perhaps doubly so when you’re 30+. The pandemic was a flash in the pan in the sense that it afforded everyone the space to pivot into vocations and interests that were far more gratifying than day jobs. Time was one of the few bright moments during those two years, and so many emerged with newfound careers and success, particularly in the creative industries.
It’s rare for an artist to emerge in their youth and rise to the top of their class without some financial backing or cosigns from more established peers. Even then, the risk of burnout can be quite high as it can be difficult to maintain the same level of productivity and hype created in the early stages of a career. Then, when you have platforms such as Forbes’ 30 Under 30, you may be forgiven for feeling as though you haven’t made it (never mind that many of those who are chosen are 30+, and that the award requires individuals to apply themselves, and there’s no guarantee that such an award will lead to increased visibility and success…)
Hustle mentalities, such as rise and grind, make it appear that all you need is hard work and determination to succeed, but this is a fallacy and often a mantra that those who have been given every advantage to succeed love to preach. Molly Mae came under fire a few years ago when she said we all have the same twenty-four hours, and rightly so. A conventionally attractive blonde, white woman who found fame on a reality dating show will have it far easier than most. While she had a moderate, middle-class upbringing in Hertfordshire, race, gender, and class all play a role in how quickly one can rise the social ladder.
The pull yourself up by the bootstraps mentality is often one that social media amplifies, and it has certainly compounded feelings of anxiety and uncertainty among creatives and artists of all ages, but what would a future look like if young people mentored their elders, rather than just being the other way around? Or better yet, what would the dynamic look like if it were less about one being more successful than the other?
What can brands do?
Unfortunately, many creative industries are still quite ageist and vanity-led, but the tide has been turning in recent years. Although these are token examples, Loewe featuring 88-year-old Dame Maggie Smith as the face of their campaign in 2024 and Burberry inviting TikTok star Bemi Orojougun, aka ‘Bus aunty’, to its London Fashion Week show indicate that some brands are attempting to flip the script. Both are exceptions to the rule – especially the former, who has enjoyed a glittering, storied career as an actor, but equally, it’s a celebration that creativity has no expiry date. The publishing industry has made strides in supporting writers who started later in life, particularly as the sector is known for patience and long turnarounds. Many published authors tend to release their first books in their forties – perhaps indicating that life experience can often create the best work.
However, with fewer socioeconomic safety nets and a decimated arts sector, we can no longer rely on the government and local councils to support creativity and talent. A modern framework around career support, funding and grants could incorporate the following principles:
Funding based on vision, intention, and impact — not age.
Brands celebrating longevity, evolution, reinvention — not just youth.
This would take a few avant-garde, maverick brands to lead the charge, but overall it could help foster a more balanced, equitable and broad creative ecosystem that reflects the ever-changing world we live in. These quotes from the wider team left us feeling hopeful that a widespread shift may come:
“Emergence is not a youth culture. It’s a human one.”
“Let’s start designing workspaces, grants, and collaborations that honour emergence at every age.”
“Because the only timeline that matters is the one that’s aligned with who you truly are — not who the system says you should be.”
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