Emma Berson

THE INTERNET, INSTAGRAM, AND THE INCREASINGLY BLURRED BOUNDARIES OF CREATIVITY

Psychologists argue that creativity is not limited to a single domain, but is instead a more general trait. One of these psychologists argued that among notable historic figures, the more creative the individual, the more varied his/her interests were. Up until the digital age, many polymath figures either felt the need to choose one domain despite their multiple interests or were only recognized for one domain although having professional involvement in others. My thesis argues that with the rise of the internet and social media, these proven notions about creativity not being domain-specific are becoming more visible, allowing for a polymath’s professional success in multiple vocations, rather than him/her having to choose one. Social media allows highly creative individuals to freely adopt and combine different artistic identities and present themselves as polymaths – this fundamentally blurs the boundaries of the artistic labels used to describe them. Simultaneously, the internet has provided unprecedented access to information, allowing for creative skills to be easily learned and outsourced without a need for technical proficiency.