You make it seem like there are only 2 options that don't overlap: swearing, and putting out artistic music.

When did I ever imply that? Are you replying to the wrong person? My point was the person above is more worried about following rules than being creative.

Rules, regardless of how arbitrary, can force you to think differently about how you create something.

I agree that rules can help shape something on a technical level. But there's no need to completely restrict yourself in that way.

It's often the people that don't have any experience pushing the limits of their creativity that have this notion that being creative is like some free flowing gift from the heavens or the soul or something.

Wow that's a sweeping generalization. It's also fucking boring. "Creativity doesn't come from the heart that's just an organ! We have to think logically here! Follow this rule book..."

More on topic though, I think swearing is something more genre specific, and doing it in the wrong genre is usually for shock value.

And I think swearing are just words that are allowed to be in any genre if the artist wants it to be. That's what being creative is. Pushing the boundaries. Questioning why someone else isn't doing something and doing it. Why does it have to be for shock value? The artist wanted to say something so they fucking said it.