Creator Attachment Disorder
Photo by Nicholas Bui on Unsplash
Overview
Creator Attachment Disorder (CAD) is a condition in which a Creator exchanges natural, healthy creative attachments for unhealthy institutional relationships.
A case of CAD is typically brought on by bad advice such as “never attach a director/performer/designer to your project.”
This type of advice is highly contagious and runs rampant in graduate schools, mentorship programs, and emerging artist networks. Those who are new to the field and/or insecure are particularly susceptible to such advice, especially if the spreader has (or appears to have) ever made any money at all as a “Creator.”
“Never attach anyone to your project” may start off benign, but it aggressively morphs, fed by supporting statements such as “after all, producers/institutions are going to want to hire their own director/actors/designers.”
Part of the insidious nature of such advice is that it is typically true that institutions and producers want control over the rest of the artistic team and the entire project itself—and that any barrier to said control may make them want to pass on a project.
Note: these particular institutions and producers frequently suffer from a related, extremely prevalent condition, in which their potential for a symbiotic relationship with creators and artists is corrupted by parasitic relationships with donors or investors. In most situations, this leaves the institutions as zombie-like hosts to these powerful parasites—able only to repeat such phrases as “I understand, but we just don’t have the budget for that,” or “I understand, but I don’t think the board will go for it,” or, essentially, any other form of “I understand, but….” Indeed, I-understand-but statements continue to exacerbate other bad advice, and ultimately find their way to the artists’ soul, where they begin to slowly devour it.
Signs and Symptoms
Initial damage from CAD occurs in the soul. Below are a few signs and symptoms that a creator may be suffering from CAD.
Paying performers the bare minimum amount they can get away with and, if the project gets picked up, replacing them with performers preferred by the institutions.
Paying directors the bare minimum amount they can get away with, and, if the project gets picked up, replacing them with directors preferred by the institutions.
Agreeing to work with collaborators that they do not know or do not respect or frankly do not like because they are the institution’s preferred zombie collaborators.
Compromising vision and purpose to suit the tastes of board members and investors.
Promoting a scarcity mentality by focusing not on the possible demand for art by diverse audiences but instead on the immediate availability of resources from established institutions.
Competing and withholding ideas, resources, leads, and opportunities instead of collaborating.
Defending their choices by stating that they “had no other choice” or “that’s just the way it is” and by spreading bad advice themselves.
Complications
While Creators may find the initial effects of soul corruption to be survivable, when perpetuated, CAD causes long-term damage such as:
Severe artistic dissatisfaction.
Frequent, uncontrolled discharge of shitty work.
Inability to extract head from ass
Partial or complete loss of soul
In addition, hosts of CAD provide a fertile environment for the growth and spread of related conditions such as:
Rampant tokenism
Chronic poverty
Treatment
The longer one lives with CAD, the more entrenched it becomes. However, there are treatments that may help mitigate its impact. If you believe that you or a loved one may be suffering from CAD, please know that there is help out there. The most common treatments include:
Leaving the arts field.
This treatment works best if applied shortly after bad advice takes hold in the soul. In an effort to save the artistic soul, the Creator leaves the professional arts field, taking on employment elsewhere, and pursues the arts as a hobby. Granted, this treatment is less effective if student loans are present. And, because much of the rest of the world is similarly controlled by parasitic investors, the treatment may be short-lived.
Starting a nonprofit
Those with the strength and idealism to do so may choose instead to start a nonprofit theater company or other arts nonprofit with the hopes of changing the conditions for creators. While this may prolong the life of an artists’ soul, these institutions are still highly susceptible to the parasitic invasion by donors and investors mentioned above. (See “nonprofit industrial complex” for a more thorough description of the problem.) Ultimately, nonprofits lack the power, resources, and sustainable structure necessary for widespread systemic change.
Self-producing
In some specific cases, self-producing may be an option. However, given the amount of resources necessary, this typically only works in the long-term for Creators who are independently wealthy. And often they find that this solution does not entirely prevent them from some of the long-term effects of CAD, particularly those that prey on the ego, including the inability to remove head from ass—which then leads to the frequent discharge of shitty work.
Prevention
Given the imperfect nature of the available treatments, it is important for Creators to take steps to prevent CAD from setting in in the first place. One promising method is currently in development:
Working cooperatively with other artists
The most promising way to prevent CAD is for creators to simply ignore the bad advice and invest in mutually beneficial relationships with one another—avoiding the zombie/parasitic relationships with institutions. A strong understanding that equity starts with co-ownership will allow individuals to work together to enable one another’s visions. While this bears some resemblance to the self-production treatment, when the power is shared with a group of committed creators, rather than retained by a rich individual, it is easier to find the resources for sustainability--and the likelihood of head becoming lodged in ass significantly decreases.
Conclusion
Please take a moment right now to do a CAD self-check. If you think that you may be a CAD carrier, the first step is to approach a strong collaborator and see if they are willing to help dislodge your head. Once your head is dislodged, invest together and equitably in something you believe in. Only you can prevent the spread of CAD.
For more about Emily Roller, check out our Team page. For information on her comic opera “Salt,” please click here.
