I was recently referred to as a “creative” and the person who said it was surprised when I asked not to be called that. \u00a0Here’s why I hate that word used as a noun.<\/p>\n
In other industries the training, talent, and roll of individuals is recognized. \u00a0In finance, for example, there are bank tellers, stock brokers, analysts, hedge fund managers, etc. \u00a0While we might say they all work in the financial industry, we don’t call them “financials” or “moneys”. \u00a0We describe each person’s role using the name of their distinct profession. \u00a0Kayla is a financial analyst, not a “money”.<\/p>\n
Likewise, in medicine there are nurses, doctors, surgeons, EMTs, etc. \u00a0We might collect all of their expertise when we refer to the medical or health care field, but we don’t call the individuals “medicals”. \u00a0Again, we describe each person’s distinct role or profession. \u00a0Alex is a registered nurse, not a “health”.<\/p>\n
I work in a creative profession, but I’m a lighting designer not a “creative”. \u00a0I’m not a poet, choreographer, photographer, or web site designer. \u00a0I find it lazy and dismissive to lump all of us into one category and call us “creatives” as though we’re interchangeable, without regard to the education and skills of our very distinct professions. \u00a0You don’t want a web site designer lighting your building, or a choreographer making your web site. \u00a0To me, calling us all “creatives” disregards and degrades our unique abilities and contributions, essentially saying that what we do isn’t worth recognizing or naming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"