“Expressive Value”, commercialising your talent.
Two hundred years ago, the arts were seen as a diversion from productive capital. Today, creative industries have a strong role in the country’s economy and accounts for 7.3% of it. What steps do creative projects have to take to ensure the achievement of their final goal? And what obstacles will they meet along the way?
By Lemma Shehadi
These are questions that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport tried to tackle in 2007, with a commissioned report on the state of Creative Industries. This analysis made by the Work Foundation argues for creativity as a catalyst for running businesses. Creative products are assessed and gain popularity by their “expressive value”, a concept which I will explain subsequently.
Originality and creativity, the production of ideas rather than objects is what makes the Creative Industries a “pioneer” sector. Universities and high tech manufacturers, which are hot spots for new ideas, become central building blocks of the economy. These two contribute to what is known as the knowledge economy. Similarly it is this basis in innovation that gives creative industries that lucrative potential. Furthermore, in the UK, knowledge and creativity fuelled industries thrive better than in other parts of Europe. On a tangent, the reports adds that cultural diversity, as is seen in the highly cosmopolitan cities like London, bring forth a tolerance and openness to new ideas from which the knowledge economy thrives. Creative industries function by commercialising expressive value. This is not limited to paintings and poems but new software, video games etc. “Essentially expressive value creates new insights, delights and experiences. It adds to our knowledge, stimulates our emotions and enhances our lives” (4.7) This commonality also makes creative industries unique in that their products are truly original. Playstations 2, 3 and Xbox for example, are technological enhancements of the original Playstation, however new games that emerge, with new narratives and new graphics are the marketed ‘expressive’ goods. Makers of creative products cannot predict how these will be received. As the report points out, fluctuating trends allow for some products to experience an unexpected vogue, though this is always temporary. But what such products have as a distinguishing quality is that once made obsolete, they can experience a revival. This is very true to the current fad for “vintage” clothing and accessories. A 1970’s kettle, for example, is made useless by newer, faster and more eco-friendly ones. However it is highly desirable as an antique or as a decorative object. The “expressive value” of the kettle comes into play even though its value as a technological product is nought. It becomes also difficult, with the uncertainty of reception, to predict what profits a creative product will make, and creative products cannot be sold until they are packaged and completed. It would be absurd to release half of a blockbuster in cinemas whilst the rest of the movie is still in the making. What happens then is that a lot of money is spent producing a good film with unpredictable revenue and shelf life. A man setting up a barber shop can compete with his peers by ensuring quality and value. He can hire the best hairdressers, give cheap haircuts and build on his reputation. On the other hand, an eminent film maker could ensure that the best actors, the best production team and the latest equipment be used for her film. However she cannot guarantee that the ‘expressive value’ of the film itself will appeal to contemporary audiences. The dissemination of products with expressive value involves many layers of work from various creative industries. At the core are the creative ideas, truly innovative products that earn the need of a copyright. These are disseminated and mass produced by cultural industries such as film or production companies, radio, television. If Don deLillo writes a novel, this is a product of “core expressive value”. It is awarded copyright which protects it’s expressive originality. deLillo’s publisher is the cultural industry that reproduces the book. Another sector in the creative industries, designers and marketers would get involved in producing a cover for the book and advertising such as banners and PR. Politicians and celebrities also make use of this latter sector to create a public image. It is finally important to note that this analysis explores the function of art within an economic framework. The commercial value of artistic expression is subjective to popular demand, though this changes radically and unexpectedly. Creative projects undertake a lot of risks in such an ambiguous market. However, as the report underlines, there is much demand for expressive value in almost every aspect of consumer experience, which allows creative industries to flourish and generate more ideas.

