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I miss when the holiday season was creative.

Does anyone else remember that time? Personally, I think creativity got massacred by consumption in the late 90s to early/mid 2000s and has become this ghastly beast ever since. I was on Facebook the other day and spotted my first influencer post of the season that showcased sales for Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Old Navy… I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and keep scrolling. Each time I see posts similar to the one I just described it makes me wonder how out of touch people are with the world around them. Our current economic state is fractured to the point that entire generations are working multiple side hustles on top of their primary jobs to make the ends barely meet or to have some form of work/life balance. Having excessively strong work ethic and side hustles isn’t the problem- the fact that people are put in a position to NEED them in order for life to balance out is, and the reason for the need can be attributed to the unchecked nature of corporations as well as billionaires that influence the flow of money in this country. So when I see these types of influencers I see the extension of these corrupt billionaires taking advantage of the middle, working, and lower classes that are already enduring the heaviest of the economic weight. Dirty and calculated are the only words left to describe the feeling the whole situation gives me.

In an odd way I am left feeling grateful for the way I had to unsubscribe from all the social normative platforms. This happened because I either was (1) excessively disturbed by what those corporations were doing with the money I was contributing (i.e. funding the war in Gaza or the current presidential administration) or (2) I simply could no longer afford such services because I had to redirect how my money was spent due to changes in life circumstances. I reinvested in a DVD player, thrifted books, and art supplies as the switch up occurred in addition to finding free streaming services… all of which ended up costing less than all of my previous streaming services combined in a single month. In doing this not only did I become more in touch with who I actually am rather than who I had become due to the convenience of a system created for me to participate in, but I also have been given the opportunity to teach my child, at a young age, about said system and how to not lose his own self to it. While there was a skosh of a detox phase for him, overall he adjusted quickly and quite well. His creativity has been bursting at the seams, his desire to investigate information has found depth, and he has found peace in spending most of his free time reading (our local library sees us more than most of our family members do).

What sticks out to me the most is the new avenues his creativity has forged. When he dashes to me with a new idea or creation to showcase I am transported back to my own childhood when television was an option, cable was a luxury, and the internet didn’t exist. Back then we approached creation with varying concepts and perspectives unique to each person because there wasn’t a set path or multitude of influencers in our faces due to ease of access. When we wanted to know something or learn something we had to go seek out the information and then bring our individual perspective to the forefront to develop our own opinions. In many ways I feel we have lost that as a society and adore that I am seeing that passion again within my son. It gives me hope that if I continue to fan this flame then maybe a wildfire will take over to bring back this lost way of living.

It is my dream to see the world around me, physically or digitally, strive for individuality rather than status quo or copycat culture that many influencers cultivate. Being an extension of corporate greed by promoting over consumption (even with a discount code) and calling it your small business is not something any of us should desire to follow or contribute towards. For as long as I can remember, the bottom line of the holiday season is to slow down and spend time with those you love to create lifelong memories. The decor doesn’t need to be perfect. There doesn’t need to be three Christmas trees in a single home. The decor doesn’t need to look as if it was copy and pasted from a magazine. The amount of gifts under the tree and how much money was spent obtaining said gifts shouldn’t matter. Spending time making homemade decorations that are unique to you or your family would be way cooler and worth splashing all over social media. Decorating one tree with ornaments unique to you or your family would become a favorite tradition worth passing through generations. Making a gift with your own two hands and creative mind would permeate a core memory while infusing a deeper layer of love.

I am tired of corporate tycoons and their marketing teams; maybe it’s the middle child in me, but I am taking back my holiday season from their greedy hands. This will be the first year of new, creative traditions that my son can look forward to each year while creating a legacy all our own. We are going to get back to the bottom line of this time of year and build something from scratch together that is sustainable and worth passing on.