The Gigantic Cliff Face: Reimagining A Creative Infrastructure
I once heard a speaker say that to survive in the creative industry, “all you need is hard work.”
Bullshit.
Yes, handwork is irrefutably a requirement, but to say it is all one needs is a lie. It feels like saying, “all you need to climb this wall face is a can do attitude.”
“Oh, what about the guy who fell because no one offered him lessons or a harness?”
“Ignore him.”
Metaphor aside, we often romanticize the creative industry as a space where talent, vision, and perseverance triumph.
But for anyone who’s tried to make a living as an artist, a writer, or a musician, it feels less like a vertical climb that stretches high into the clouds, with no guarantee of success. Following that, it is tiring, requiring every single fibre of your being to be working together, or risk a slip.
This rock face isn’t natural. Generations of cultural norms, economic policies, and the choices of the people who came before us have carved and shaped it. Its cracks and ledges, its routes and overhangs, all reflect the implied nature of the creative industry. It's the loose infrastructure of the systems and supports that make the climb easier or harder, depending on where you start and what you have.
But the climb isn’t just shaped by what’s there. We often never consider what its missing. A systems thinking to the infrastructure of creative industries and experiences that could make the climb safer, fairer, and more accessible is patchy at best. Without recognizing this concept, we risk perpetuating the myth of the lone artist conquering the world through grit alone.
No one scales the damn rock face alone. It is a collective experience, much like creativity. Additionally, too many great individuals will never leave the ground if the infrastructure is lacking.
The Rock Face Itself Also Known As The Industry
The first thing that will strike you as you stand at the foot of this symbolic rock face is just how wildly uneven it is.
There are some areas that appear smooth and polished, with well-traveled paths going uphill. These are the more conventional career pathways, including getting a record deal, being represented by a gallery, or signing with a large publishing business. Although they are trustworthy, accessing them is difficult. To even start the climb, they frequently need a mix of timing, hard effort, connections, and luck.
Other areas are jagged or flat, with no obvious footholds. These parts of the rock face represent the unconventional paths. Some examples are self-publishing or crowdfunding. While these routes are less predictable, they may be a new way forward. But the margin for error is much more unforgiving, as one wrong move will send you plummeting.
This unevenness is no accident. The creative industry, after all, is built on a mix of opportunities and barriers. But to carry on the metaphor, the rock face also has cracks and ledges. They’re the grants, commissions, and lucky breaks that can propel a climber upward. But they’re scattered unpredictably, and not everyone has the same chance to find them. Meanwhile, the overhangs and sheer walls represent the systemic challenges. Some examples include gatekeeping, lack of funding, or exclusionary practices. All of which makes the climb so much harder for some than for others.
Tools and Resources: Not All Climbers Are Equal
As you watch people begin their climb, you’ll see that not everyone is starting with the same equipment. Someone has outfitted some climbers with gear like harnesses, ropes, and climbing shoes. Some climbers might even have refined techniques taught by instructors. These are the people with access to money, education, and connections. All of which are advantages that make their journey safer and more efficient.
One example I admire is Sofia Coppola, whose father’s legendary film career opened doors. Or fashion designers like Stella McCartney, who not only inherited creative talent but also connections. Now they did put in a lot of hard work, but their journey up the rock face is far more guided than most.
Others, though, are scaling the rock with bare hands and teeth. They’re the self-taught artists, the broke filmmakers, or the musicians working two jobs just to afford their instruments. Their climb isn’t just harder. Its more dangerous as the margin for error is much more cruel.
Consider Tyler Perry, who lived in his car for months while funding his early plays, or Maya Angelou, who wrote while working multiple jobs to support her family.
Whether if its financial resources, mentorship, or formal training, these never determine how far they will go. These things shape the foundation years and build a framework of support upon which our behaviours and success are often based.
Routes and Guides: Finding the Way Up
The creative business follows the same established routes as any other rock face. These well-traveled routes provide direction and organization which are usually forged by school, network, and geography. However, they are also congested, cutthroat, and frequently inaccessible to anyone without the necessary training or connections.
For some climbers, creating a new route is their only choice. This could entail creating a social media following, crowdfunding, or self-publishing. These are independent filmmakers who choose to crowdfund their movies via Kickstarter instead of Hollywood, such as the makers of Veronica Mars, who successfully capitalized on fan enthusiasm. Or artists like Billie Eilish, who developed a fan base on social media before signing with conventional labels.
But they’re also unpredictable.
When mentorship is available, it can be a lifeline. A guide who knows the terrain can point out hidden cracks and ledges. Sometimes they can even toss a rope to someone struggling, or simply offer the encouragement needed to keep going. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay, for example, has famously mentored emerging directors through initiatives like ARRAY, amplifying marginalized voices in cinema.
Weather and Resting Spots or External Forces and Moments of Relief
No climber faces the rock in a vacuum. The conditions around them make the climb easier or harder. What are these conditions? Well, some examples include cultural attitudes, economic climates, and political policies. These are out of control of the climber or artist.
Let me explain. A booming arts economy might feel like sunshine and a gentle breeze, while austerity measures or cultural hostility toward the arts can feel like climbing in the middle of a storm.
Then there are the resting spots. It is the ledges and outcroppings where climbers can rest. These represent the grants, fellowships, and residencies that provide temporary stability, allowing creatives to plan their next move. But these spots are few and far between, and competition for them is wildly fierce. For many climbers, the choice is between pushing onward, exhausted, or risking a fall by stopping too soon.
Now what?
The climber climbs. No one else can make the ascent for them. But acknowledging the climb also means acknowledging the conditions under which it happens.
This climb is perilous, often unfair, yet profoundly rewarding. So, if this rock face is a collective responsibility, what does it reveal about us when the best routes are gated, the footholds remain uneven, and shelter is scarce?
We can’t flatten the face without losing what makes it meaningful, but we can question how it’s shaped. Are we allowing gravity and luck to decide who rises? Or should we start thinking about how to make the climb possible for more people?
Is it a bad idea to see this rock face as a collective responsibility?
What if, instead of guarding the best routes, climbers worked together to carve new footholds and set up shelters for those on the way up? What if we recognized that success on this rock face isn’t just about talent or determination but also about the infrastructure?
At the end of the day, everyone is fighting the same gravity.
Would you consider a follow?
https://asymmetriccreativity.medium.com/
