Embrace constraints

Most of us grow up with the idea that creativity and constraints are opposites, like fire and water. That what a true artist needs is a blank page, the freedom to do whatever he or she wants. Well, I disagree. Art is about choices. What to say. What not to say. And how not to say it. But more choices don’t always make us happier or freer.

Some years ago, there was even a book called The Paradox of Choice about how people buy more stuff when given less choice. We see this paradox in the arts the whole time. Take poetry as an example. Yes, you can write free poetry in which nothing rhymes. But there have been many great poets who chose to work within a particular form. Shakespeare wrote sonnets. Ghalib wrote ghazals. I am an actor and a woman in a country where being either of those two can be a problem. Every weekday morning, I go live before an audience of millions. Like all television hosts, I have to work within certain constraints. But because I work for a state-owned channel, I work with more constraints than others.

The first year of hosting my breakfast show, “Morning with Juggun”, I would often sit on my bathroom floor, crying with frustration because I couldn't talk about anything that I wanted to talk about, like violence against women and children, breast cancer awareness — because I couldn't use the word ‘breast’ on air — child molestation, rape, minority rights, the list went on and on. I kept feeling sorry for myself. And as a result, I went on air every day and talked about things without any real emotion or sincerity. Then something dawned on me one day. I was using my constraints as an excuse to be lazy and uncreative.

And so I took things and turned them on their head. The topics I could actually talk about, I researched on them to death through my content team but also in my personal time. Over time, as the viewers got hooked, I would plug-in, slowly and gently, the things that mattered. Now more than ever, people have total control over what they want to be exposed to in the media. Whether it's a breakfast show, music, a film or even a commercial — people have choices. You can switch channels, block out social media, walk out of the cinema or change the track on your Ipod.

You have to work within the framework of your constraints and create something meaningful and beautiful, and at the same time, interesting for your audience. That's the challenge.

In the case of my morning show, I realised that the one luxury I had in working for a state broadcaster was that I could happily ignore all the stunts other anchors were being forced to pull to get ratings.

In the case of Pakistan, that meant week-long shows on weddings, exorcism specials to rid guests of their demons and of course, that old staple of sub-continental television: the never-ending drama between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law.

Instead, I started focusing on current health issues, holding up close and personal Oprah-type interviews with celebrity guests, bringing on high achievers and people of all economic backgrounds and celebrating their lives.

In the middle of all this, I didn’t give up on any of the things I wanted to get across. When it came to breast cancer, my solution was to talk about cancer without using the word ‘breast’.

I invited women doctors and cancer experts to talk about cancer in general, about how women were at risk from particular types of cancer, and how women over 40 should get themselves screened and tested regularly. But all without mentioning the word ‘breast’.

Similarly, when it came to violence against women, my solution was to invite activists for women’s rights to come and talk about female empowerment, about the importance of standing up for one’s rights and about their own personal journeys. I invited representatives from NGOs dealing with women’s issues to appear on the show and then encouraged my viewers to get in touch with them. But all without specifically mentioning rape or sexual violence.

We are taught too often that constraints are terrible things, that every time somebody tries to stop us, we must bulldoze our way through and change the system, and bring about a revolution. I’m not saying that’s wrong. I’m just saying that there are other ways.

When I first joined the media, I used to challenge every constraint and scream as loud as I could against it. But people don’t like screaming. They don’t like confrontation. Many of them simply tune out.

What I’ve learnt now is that nudges can be just as effective as pushes, that working for change within a system is often more useful than railing against the ‘system’. Focus on eating the fruit, not on counting the trees.

So, don’t be afraid of constraints. If you embrace constraints and if you embrace challenges, you will become a better artist. I read somewhere recently that only when one is limited can one begin the journey to becoming completely limitless! You will be forced to look within yourself and to use all of your skills. And that will be good for you and your art, no matter what that art may be.

Published in The Express Tribune, March  16^th,  2015.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.