Any creative will tell you that breaking into the industry is not easy, whether you’re a musician, a designer, a visual artist, or photographer - one has to be prepared for disappointments before that breakthrough.
With the coronavirus triggering drastic changes in our lives, creatives have found themselves in tough situations. As such, many have found that the best way to keep afloat is through collaboration.
This brings us to 100 Beautiful Things, a campaign that celebrates South Africa’s most inspiring projects, products, ideas, and experiences that are designed by young creatives. The six-part webinar series is where they discuss challenges and how to overcome them.
The theme for the second episode was “The Voices of Emerging Creatives."
Joined by Jamal Nxedlana, co-founder of Bubblegum Club; Sarah-Jane Boden, founder and creative director of SoulProviders Collective; and, Haneem Christian, a visual poet, they discussed the challenges and opportunities faced by the next generation of artists and designers as they navigate what it means to “LIVE ART AND BE HEARD” within the South African landscape.
On how to find your unique voice, Christian said: “Know yourself and your history, tell your truth and be authentic. Everyone has different experiences that live in our genetic memories, it is about sharing these stories with future generations.”
She also added that, in her experience, brands tend to exploit young artists by expecting high production value with low budgets. She pointed out that, by collaborating with brands, artists can risk losing themselves and their identities.
“Look for collaborations where you are empowered, and your style is in line with the brand. If you are being pushed to compromise on your vision, then the collaboration won’t work,” she encouraged.
Christian lays out three basic rules artists should follow when collaborating with brands:
1. Have a contract in place.
2. Know your value and your worth.
3. Talk to your mentors and ask for their advice. “It is not always about the money, take
jobs where you feel like you are going to learn something,” she adds.
The next 100 Beautiful Things episode, Sustainability: Designing for a Better World, is on 16 July via www.crowdcast.io