Shooting people doesn't kill them, exposure does...
As everyone one knows I'm part and forefront of not only the crew but the Smarteez generation. About twelve months ago we had an idea stolen from us buy white collar corporates which hurt us deeply because it felt like our baby had been snatched from our hands. It does not only qualify as plagiarism but also as exploitation. Sad thing is we were not the only victims to this exploitation, fellow 'peers' if I can call them that fell victim to this because of a desire for fame, status and belonging which we all go through as young creatives.
In the previous two odd years when blowing up and getting popular in industry we have been warned by many who have in the past gone through what we were as aspiring creatives about how too much exposure and do more good than harm. I believe the amount I've recieved does me good in a sense that me wanting to break my brand and self into an international audience would be somehow easier because we(Smarteez and I) have been made into rock stars by good friends and colleages, the likes of freelance and Colors magazine photographer Chris Saunders, freelance award winning journalist Milisuthando Bongela and acclaimed photographer Lolo Veleko.
Fame comes at a price which in our case is too much to handle for others, with ideas so big they can result in the exploitation of many. The Smarteez aesthetic has spread country wide leaving room for more of this exploitation to happen and so much so that it blindfolds the victims into them not seeing or believing that they're part of the generation as too. We have been bad mouthed, copied and tarnished for being an original South African street youth culture which In my mind should be celebrated and supported, I know I'd do that even if I wasn't any part of it.
The moral is that as much as we might be hungry to express our individual identity and creativity which is mostly supported by the lenses we love so much, they can kill us too. The trick is to find yourself within your space and use it wisely by taking your time and not succumbing into the pressure to deliver. Living and riding on peoples ideas, creativity and fame will never be in fashion and I can bet the bit of my fame I have on it. The exposure can kill you, so do not forget your sun blocks.
In the previous two odd years when blowing up and getting popular in industry we have been warned by many who have in the past gone through what we were as aspiring creatives about how too much exposure and do more good than harm. I believe the amount I've recieved does me good in a sense that me wanting to break my brand and self into an international audience would be somehow easier because we(Smarteez and I) have been made into rock stars by good friends and colleages, the likes of freelance and Colors magazine photographer Chris Saunders, freelance award winning journalist Milisuthando Bongela and acclaimed photographer Lolo Veleko.
Fame comes at a price which in our case is too much to handle for others, with ideas so big they can result in the exploitation of many. The Smarteez aesthetic has spread country wide leaving room for more of this exploitation to happen and so much so that it blindfolds the victims into them not seeing or believing that they're part of the generation as too. We have been bad mouthed, copied and tarnished for being an original South African street youth culture which In my mind should be celebrated and supported, I know I'd do that even if I wasn't any part of it.
The moral is that as much as we might be hungry to express our individual identity and creativity which is mostly supported by the lenses we love so much, they can kill us too. The trick is to find yourself within your space and use it wisely by taking your time and not succumbing into the pressure to deliver. Living and riding on peoples ideas, creativity and fame will never be in fashion and I can bet the bit of my fame I have on it. The exposure can kill you, so do not forget your sun blocks.
Reference Quote:
"Nale especially hates it when people believe she is aligned with the Smarteez. The Smarteez's dogmatic allegiance to a particular dress sense doesn't sit well with Nale's reverence for individualism. "
"The Smarteez thing is a trend. But it is even worse because there is no room for individual style: they are all the same. It's like a uniform. If two or three of them get tired of dressing the same way then what happens to the group? If I get tired of sneakers and decide to invest in heels it wouldn't affect my friendship with Guy," says Nale.
"The Smarteez thing is a trend. But it is even worse because there is no room for individual style: they are all the same. It's like a uniform. If two or three of them get tired of dressing the same way then what happens to the group? If I get tired of sneakers and decide to invest in heels it wouldn't affect my friendship with Guy," says Nale.
Before stealing an idea think of this... when you steal an idea you are only taking the end part of an intricate process. The original brain or source of the creative idea is absent which means the stolen idea cannot be grown it can only be sustained it's "original" stolen form. Its only a matter of time till cream turns out to be nothing but foam.
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