Creativity First: Why Innovation Needs Art + Technology—and Freedom from 'How Do We Sell This?'

We often hear that art and technology fuel innovation. But too often, creators are cut short by a simple, limiting question: “How do we sell this?” That mindset kills ideas before they even have the chance to breathe.

Da Vinci Didn’t Ask for a Business Plan

Leonardo da Vinci wasn’t building products—he was exploring possibilities. His notebooks were filled with flying machines, war devices, and anatomical sketches. Most of them weren’t commercially viable at the time—but they laid the groundwork for centuries of progress.

Da Vinci followed curiosity, not commerce. That’s what made him timeless. And it’s a lesson we still haven’t fully embraced.

Why Art + Tech Needs Space to Breathe

Too often, when artists and technologists experiment, the first question from the outside world is: “But how does this make money?”
Here’s the problem: when creativity is forced into a box too early, it dies there.

Innovation needs room. It needs people creating just because. That’s where the unexpected breakthroughs happen—when no one’s looking for ROI yet.

Why I Started Forgn Studio

This belief is what led me to start Forgn Studio, a space where people can explore, build, and express without needing to explain themselves to a market. It’s about making space for what could be, not just what can be sold.

A recent moment made this vision feel incredibly real: I was talking to inventor and artist Mike Schoonover, and within minutes, he was building a beautiful, experimental light installation right there in the studio. No approvals, no slide decks—just energy, flow, and instinct.

That’s what we’re trying to protect. That’s the spark.

What We Learned with Web3 in 2021

The excitement around Web3 in 2021 came from pure creative freedom—people built without boundaries. Some projects aimed to reinvent finance, others were memes, art, DAOs, or experiments with identity. Many had no business model, and that was the point. Curiosity drove the momentum, and it showed that the best innovations often start when people create simply because they can.

Not Everything Needs to Be a Product

Yes, commercialization has its place. But not everything needs to be monetized right away. Sometimes, the act of creation is the point. And often, that’s where the seeds of transformative ideas are planted.

Let’s stop asking “how do we sell this?”
Let’s start asking: “What could this become if we let it grow?”