Making Your Creative Work Matter

This is going to be a blog post largely based on my personal opinion. As an artist/a creator, I feel like it’s important that everyone involved gets personally invested in the project. When you find an emotional attachment to the project, it makes everything you’re doing mean that much more.

I recently had the pleasure of being the lead choreographer for a flash mob that assisted in the marriage proposal of an amazing couple. From the moment I was hired, I felt a strong sense of responsibility. I was put in charge of creating a memory that would last a lifetime. That sense of responsibility affected how I choreographed and organized the event as a whole. If I didn’t feel it, then I assumed my client wouldn’t. This no longer became about me and preserving my name as a choreographer, it became about doing EVERYTHING in my power to make the creative work I presented to them matter. This would be a forever memory for them.

I think that sometimes creators have to submerge themselves so much into their work in order to make what they do matter. One of the most successful women in the entertainment industry touches on one of the personal casualties that can take place when you do so. Oprah Winfrey states that her life’s work in entertainment is one of the main reasons why she did not have children. When you look at the life, career and philanthropist efforts that have come from all that Oprah has done, she is the pinnacle of making what your creative work matter. She feels like she would have been a horrible parent if she had children and still tried to do all that she's accomplished. 

Pharrell Williams is another artist that is currently seeing how his work is affecting not only his own generation, but others. He recently made an appearance on Ellen promoting his new album and to give an amazing gift to some students at a charter school in Detroit. His song "Happy" was nominated for an Oscar this year and has been all over the airwaves this year. Pharrell got to see first hand how his creative work has been able to inspire the kids at this school where the majority of the students live at or below the poverty line. During his appearance on Ellen, you can see that he was visibly moved while the students were performing his song. This is the type of impact that all artists should shoot for when creating new works. How can my artistry reach the next generation? What can it teach the next generation? How will my legacy be remembered?

Being an artist, when your creative work matters and touches others, it makes all of the sacrifices you make worth it! 

The Boondocks Returns Without Creator

On April 21^st, The Boondocks will be returning to Adult Swim for their fourth season debut. Fans of the show and comic strip have been waiting four years to sink their teeth into what new adventures Huey, Riley and Grandad will be getting into. The Boondocks is a comic strip that was later adapted into an animated series. The creator, Aaron McGruder, wanted to create material that would touch on various taboo subject matters and use satire and comedy to provoke thought regarding social, cultural and political topics. McGruder and company have been successful with that task gaining notoriety, awards and their share of controversy.

Leading into the season four premiere, it seems like The Boondocks is continuing it’s trend of controversy. This time, it’s from within. Recently it has been revealed that the show’s creator, Aaron McGruder has had no involvement in the writing and production of season four. This has come as a shock to longtime fans and have left them wondering if the show’s tone will have a significant change. McGruder not only served as Executive Producer and lead writer, but he also voices “young” Grandad during flashback scenes.

In the past, The Boondocks has ruffled feathers for their content. In season one’s episode Return of King played with the idea of  the late Dr. Martin Luther King and what his opinion of modern day politics and race relations would be if he were still alive. Season two, took some hard shots at the BET network with episodes like Hunger Strike and TheUncle Ruckus Reality Show. These episodes were banned from airing on Adult Swim and were only made available on the season’s DVD set. The show’s casual use of the n-word ruffles many feathers as well.

McGruder released a statement giving fans some insight as to why he has no involvement in this upcoming season. Included in this statement is a bit of McGruder vagueness and humor that fans have grown to know and love. He also teases that he is in fact working on a brand new Adult Swim show entitled Black Jesus.

Does a creative work lose its integrity when the original creator is no longer a part of the project? The challenge Adult Swim and The Boondocks writers have now is how to keep the fan base that has stayed loyal since its conception. The type of show that they produce takes years to write, draw, voice and direct. Not many shows can withstand a four year hiatus and come back with the success The Boondocks has been able to. The reason this show is so successful is because the fans are not only loyal to the show, but the show's creator. Fans have expressed concern that the show will be different without McGruder. Personally, I think it's impossible for him to have NO involvement in this show's production. I also think that McGruder's longtime associate producers and writers Carl Jones and Rodney Barnes are more than capable of maintaining the integrity of the show. However, I am curious and will be watching with a more critical and skeptical eye. My assumption is super fans of this show will be doing the same.

The trailer for the first episode doesn’t give too much details on the content of the entire season. So we will have to watch, wait and see.