Needles Bias: The Stigma Surrounding Artists in Pakistan

The significance of art is made apparent quite early on in our lives, when we’re taught everything through colors and shapes in kindergarten. It is the foundation we build ourselves on from a very young age. Children’s books being just as visual as they are textual was never an aimless or arbitrary decision; it has more purpose than we realize. A lack of artistic involvement in the mental development of any human being can cripple them creatively and may impact a lot of their future ventures; however, most of society will only agree that art breeds creativity and stimulates mental growth as long as a person’s choice of career isn’t in question.

There is a reason that one of the most well-known South Asian (and in this case, Pakistani) stereotypes is that all our children are forced into careers as either Doctors, Lawyers or Engineers. Despite the fact that this is, of course, inaccurate, it is the common preference. It may be worse in some households than others, but the one sure thing is that no matter how open-minded a family you’re from, pursuing a career in art as a desi kid will inevitably be met with deconstructive criticism, along with a tiresome amount of unsolicited advice.

Now, the term ‘artist’ here refers to a few various academic fields, including fine artists, writers, filmmakers, etc. The work that they produce is consumed on a regular basis nationwide, which means that if the bias against them becomes effective enough that they nearly cease to exist, there will be a considerable impact on the consumers. Both creative expression and its consumption is more cathartic than we like to believe, and a world without it would be truly bland and monotonous. 

Brainwashing, Hypocrisy and Misconception(s)

Evidently, stereotypes are overstated versions of the truth. Pakistanis have several clichés of the sort regarding artists as well, and there are a lot of factors that have given these absurd beliefs an almost unwavering foundation. To most of us, artists are notoriously fickle; people with whimsical natures that will spend pretty much their entire lives broke, unless they do something immoral and “sell out”. 

However, what people tend to forget is that the victims of their criticism are, in fact, the ones providing them with nearly every form of entertainment that they have in their lives. From reading their favorite novels and travelogues to watching their favorite movies and drama serials, people heavily depend on all forms of art media in one way or another. So, when the very book that they use to teach their child science is designed by an artist, the question they need to ask themselves is that if every single one of them kept their children from pursuing art, what would the world come to?

The blame for the notoriety of artists falls more on the misconceptions that people have about them rather than their actual actions or lifestyles. Firstly, being a professional artist is not always born out of need – a last resort because nothing else worked out. Not every artist is an ex-delinquent. Yes, it isn’t always easy to make it as an artist, especially in a place that doesn’t show as much support to professional artists as one would hope; however, it is not impossible. Ironically enough, the bias itself is part of the reason that artists have difficulty making money here, since they aren’t taken as seriously as they would in other parts of the world. They are often underpaid, overworked and underappreciated as talents, despite the fact that at this point in time, there are endless ways (digital and otherwise) for people to support them.

The Deep-Rooted Fear and its consequences

Aside from the external hurdles for potential desi artists, they also have to deal with internal conflict regarding the path they want to take in life. Between the selective career choices that they’ve been given their whole lives and seeing the treatment of artists around them, people that want a career as an artist will often force themselves to seek out something a little more “stable”. This is due to the fear that if they choose to do something they love, they will not be able to fulfil their utmost responsibility of raising a family and putting food on the table. The added pressure of wanting to make their families proud and not being a target of criticism for distant relatives only makes things worse. All of these factors add up to the seemingly sensible conclusion that the best course of action is whatever is socially acceptable and statistically more fruitful in the long run.

As a result of constantly denying themselves the creative expression they need, these people often move forward in their careers (and personal lives) feeling empty and unaccomplished. It leaves them dissatisfied with themselves and resentful of society. To force oneself to adhere to society’s idea of a respectable field of work can leave a person in a state of mental and physical exhaustion, not to mention, their talents are wasted where they could have been much better utilized, had they done something they loved.

Can We Do Better?

It must be understood that hard work is required no matter what path you choose to take in life. Playing it safe will only take a person so far before they begin to want more out of life, which is why healthy exposure to every potential career path from a young age is a necessity. Uncovering and learning to respect our own talent is something our country is seriously lacking in, which is a shame, considering that the Pakistani art community is chock-full of the most amazing, underrated talents in the world. And before the rest of the world can appreciate what we have, it needs to be recognized locally. The flawed stance that artists are mostly just rebellious teenagers with a neglectful background and murky future needs to be eradicated immediately if we want to make any progress as a society.