There is no appreciation for creativity in India. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that Indian society is insensitive towards creative works and art. There is no dearth of creative people with a passion for creative work, but there is hardly anyone to appreciate and value it.
This lack of appreciation and recognition can severely demotivate and artist, and gradually they may stop creating artwork. Alternatively, the same piece of artwork gets appreciation from an audience in European countries where they recognise your work, giving you a sense of achievement. The truth is that the Indian audience, on the other hand, is not just interested in you. Films get banned in India, but are appreciated in the New York Film Festival. Similarly, books and paintings are banned here, but appreciated and celebrated abroad.
If you are an Indian artist, you will be paid the right value for your art by visitors from Europeans countries. But their Indian counterparts are a different story. No wonder Indian artists and creative folks have disappeared. After all, as an artist you will be forced to look for some other work which will pay your bills.
With the lack of proper appreciation and recognition, an Indian artist may migrate to the West and spend the rest of their life in a different atmosphere to be recognised and paid for their work.
This unresponsive, stifling atmosphere around art in India will strip an artist of their creativity and talents. Bands, artists, poets, and writers get the occasional chance to display their work in European countries in every event, whereas in India they have to enter into a negotiation just to have a fighting a chance. If you decide to be the rebellious artist who will not to give up—well, there is no point in boxing in front of an empty arean. You will be gradually compelled to lead the life of a regular office-goer, with no creative instincts.
Indian audiences always look at monetary aspects of life. As children, we are always made to believe that money is all that matters. When we have a better understanding about this at school, we will get to understand the root cause of the problem. Most schools here don’t promote the idea of arts and creative subjects; it’s all about grades and marks after writing the same thing that’s already written in our school books. If a child is a creative artist but is average in academics, they would be motivated to stop their art and focus on studies.
The biggest mistake is that children who excel in arts and creative subjects are made to feel inferior to those excelling in academics. I feel that both should be appreciated equally, both have made achievements differently.
We have been doing this for ages. But when we look at the West and consume its artworks, we sit crib, saying there is no real talent in India. There can’t be any when there is no appreciation for creativity. When we kill budding creativity at a young age, how will anyone grow up to be a great artist?