Perhaps most alarming is how supposedly public spaces are becoming pay-per-use zones for creatives. Parks, beaches, roadsides, and other open areas in Lagos and Abuja are policed by a mix of official security and unofficial muscle, all on the lookout for anyone with a camera. The moment a tripod goes up or a drone flies, someone is likely to approach with an outstretched hand.

In theory, public parks are for everyone. In practice, authorities have set high official fees for creative use. The Lagos State Parks agency, for instance, now charges ₦500,000 per day for a “product photoshoot” in a public park, and up to ₦1,000,000 per day for filming a music video​ lasparkportal.lagosstate.gov.ng lasparkportal.lagosstate.gov.ng. Compare that to just ₦5,000 for an individual taking personal photos in the same park​ lasparkportal.lagosstate.gov.ng. The message is clear: if your creativity even smells like commerce or youth culture content, you’ll be charged top dollar for using public space. These rates have ballooned since before 2020, when such structured fees barely existed or were far lower. Many young directors simply laugh in disbelief at the idea of raising a million naira per day just to shoot in a park – a cost that might exceed their entire project budget.

Vincent van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear” (1889), painted just weeks after a mental breakdown, embodies the romanticized image of the suffering artist​

commons.wikimedia.org

. Van Gogh’s legend illustrates how deeply pain and creativity have been linked in the public imagination.

This shift means that authenticity is no longer optional, it’s essential. People gravitate toward creatives who share genuine stories, emotions, and perspectives. It’s no longer about creating for algorithms or chasing viral trends. Instead, the key to success in this new landscape is simple:

Create work that is deeply personal to you.

As writer and filmmaker Greta Gerwig once said:

"The more specific you are, the more universal something can become."

This sentiment rings true now more than ever. If your work reflects something real and meaningful to you, it will naturally find an audience that connects with it.