Of words and hype

The concept of First Work/Last Work seems to fit in the earlier stages of the GHC cycle–that is, the novelty of the Technology Trigger and a new exploration of art, and the inflation of expectations towards the peak and the Last Work that has the final say in terms of how ‘high’ a project can go. The Last Work could also be placed somewhere on the Slope of Enlightenment as the last inflation of hype before the Plateau of Productivity is established. After that, the practice of a medium or technology has been established, the wonder is lost, and the cycle of hype is complete until another trigger or game changer shakes the plateau.

Upon my first glance of the Hype Cycle, I couldn’t help but see it as a graphical representation of the creative process, where there is great hype with an initial idea, followed by the crash of reality, and then the struggle to balance the two as the process goes on, leading to a final compromise that helps even out the nerves of the artist. I would say that like Sculze, I like working in the valley of Expectations, Disillusionment and Enlightenment, simply because of the range of emotions and the richness of experiencing a rebirth of the initial hype in the Enlightenment stage. It is a stage much easier to work for simply because there are parameters already set, as opposed to the Technology Trigger stage where there is the implication of working from scratch. There is a common misconception of creativity being originality, however I truly believe that working under limits and pressure can in fact be a hot breeding ground for truly creative and innovative ideas. The overwhelming pressures of infinite possibility, although idealized, end up being a failure point for many, hence the scarce nature of large-scale triggers.

In terms of actual work though, I find the plateau of productivity the most comfortable as tools and skills are assimilated and feel more natural. Call me old fashioned, but I see the merits and enjoy repetitive mundane work. Much easier to get ‘in-the-zone’, as they call it.

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