Tradition and creativity are often seen as opposing concepts , they derive strength and inspiration from each other. We will go into the different aspects that constitute these two notions and in so doing, will be in a position to judge for ourselves, whether they are truly opposed to each other or are in fact, complementary so that one cannot survive without the other. By the end of this Unit, you will be able to define both tradition and creativity and would have reached a position of understanding how they flow through our society, civilization and culture.

While art takes many forms, various mediums of artistic creation were not always possible, with traditional works being created with one’s hands, body or rudimentary tools. The oldest form of traditional art, petroglyphs, or stone carvings, date back hundreds of thousands of years. Traditional forms of expression including music, painting, sculptures, writing and dance were the primary medium up until the creation of analog technology.

Analog technology refers to a circuit or device with an output proportional to its input, usually in the form of voltage. Think of the loud-speaker of a stereo system, where turning a knob will slowly and constantly increase the volume. Analog technology enabled several breakthroughs such as the phonoautograph, cameras that utilised film, television, radio, VCR, record players and more. Previously, art could only be appreciated in person, but the prevalence of analog technologies provided the ability to captivate audiences from the comfort of their homes. The accessibility of artists’ creations improved even further with the introduction of digital technologies.

Digital technologies saw vast improvements and innovations in consumer electronics. Digital technologies convert samples to binary numbers (0’s and 1’s) instead of