HOW DO WE BECOME COGNISANT OF THE CULTURES THAT EXIST AROUND US?

As the year's progress, it becomes increasingly clear that we cannot avoid or dismiss a lot of the issues that have affected how we live, for so long. This becomes more evident when creating art; one way that has proven to be reliable and unmatched as a form of communication through the generations. When you consider what that is on a global scale, it’s the racial injustice and human rights issues. While at home it is more about tribal and economical injustices and differences. In many ways, we find ways to communicate what happens around us, not only to express ourselves but to give an account of our realities and possibly change minds. We can’t collectively have one voice that speaks for us all; multitudes have to speak up, but it's a collective consciousness that radicalises those voices.

Culturally, we all have vast differences that influence how we create, whether or not we are aware of it. Our relationship with creating art will always be subjective to what we identify with and our beliefs. When one creates with unbarred honesty, their art often bears a vulnerability and openness that lets the audience in. When one finds an audience that is into what their art communicates, they can then form an alliance or kinship with them. That alone can have a pronounced influence on one’s lifestyle and general outlook in life; simply put, it may hold a great impact on what they consume and how.

“...art has its own rules. And one of them is that you must pay more attention to it than anything else in the world if you are going to be true to yourself. And if you don't do it - and you are an artist - it punishes you” – Nina Simone, Singer

Since technology has made the rest of the world accessible; we live in the era of viral Social Media posts and access to pop-culture trends, it’s easy for a creator’s content to be misunderstood. It would be irresponsible and detrimental to our crafts, to not educate ourselves on the different aspects of varying cultures, especially when working with brands to create products that are intended for a particular audience. In the same manner, artists who in their individual capacity, create art that is envisioned for mass consumption must also educate themselves on the varying cultures of their audiences. Being fully aware, particularly of our own cultures first, will give us ideas on how to intelligently and considerately disrupt the norm with the aim to evolve. There isn’t a written structure and parameter on how to thoughtfully and appropriately challenge the status quo. However, this does not absolve artists and other creatives of the responsibility and the authority to find a palatable way that does not gentrify cultural identities and practices to make profits and assert one’s agenda.

“Culture changes. People should know exactly what they are disrupting” – Tshepo Jamillah Moyo, Author

While paying attention to the changes and questioning them, we also need to be conscious of the rate at which commercialisation has churned the simple cultural practices of varying people into trends that can be peddled into popular culture. This misappropriation is often offensive and contributes to the discrimination of minority demographics. For a very long time, the cultures of the minority have often been communicated and or misrepresented to the world by a third party that often is of another race. This has created the looming ‘white gaze’ in a lot of publicized cultural practices that are being adapted into current trends and movements. This often created a missed opportunity to get the appeal and intimacy of the subject of said trends; rather they come off as gimmicks.

Ignorance would be a dangerous position to create from. One must make a conscious effort to study their subject of interest; its origins and true history, and then create art that communicates and resonates with them, and hopefully with generations to come.