Healing Through Artistic Expression

Africa Day is here and although the pandemic has changed many a thing in our lives, it has done little to diminish the indomitable African spirit of strength and resilience.

To celebrate Africa Day this year, I decided to get my siblings earrings from the amazing, fashionable Afrikana! Afrikana offers a wide range of beautiful handcrafted earrings that are absolute stunners. Check out the sets I purchased below.

I had the opportunity to speak to Bella, the founder of Afrikana, the full interview is coming soon so keep your eyes peeled. We talked about how her journey in the industry has been, as well as naysayers who look down on her craft and other artistic pursuits. We have long since experienced the bias to follow the sciences and other subjects as we falsely assume arts-based endeavors aren’t lucrative.

In reality, this is not the case. The advent of COVID-19 has fueled the effects of the fourth industrial revolution. Skills like creativity and original thought are fast becoming the currency of this age. According to the World Economic Forum, active learning, stress tolerance and flexibility will be in demand going forward. It’s a great read so do read the full report here https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020.

This brings me to the meat of my discussion; using art therapy to heal yourself. According to Forbes, creativity is a great source of mental wellbeing and strength. For example, crafting releases dopamine, a natural antidepressant. Writing builds positive coping mechanisms. Painting and drawing help us process profound trauma we could never fully articulate. This all culminates into resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility; these are not only highly marketable skills in the workforce, but given the ever-evolving world we live in, they are essential for survival.

We can use art to heal ourselves. When we create, we are tapping into our innate strength creating a sense of peace and achievement when we bring something to life. Artistic expression is not limited to writing, drawing, or music. It extends to the sciences where equations can create symmetry or entire systems. We are all inherently creative beings; we just need to find our medium & the natural expression of creativity that lies within us.

So where do we go from here? Craft, write, draw! Find your creative niche and create healing within yourself. In the event you’re a fan of journaling, don’t forget to enter the Dear Diary Writing Competition right here on iNgudukazi.

The Musings of a Whimsical Mind, signing out. I’ve got to go, kiddo!