BACKGROUND

This is a piece of short reflective writing after discussing with my tutor about my sense of voicelessness as an artist given recent world events. I’m pleased that things do not feel as bleak after thinking it through hence I felt it was important to capture my thoughts here. I feel a new sense of purpose.

REFLECTIONS

With the rapid change in world order, I have become acutely aware of my voicelessness as an artist.

In my previous life… in any crises be it the financial crisis, Brexit or Covid pandemic, I always had a voice through my corporate platforms. Those at the top of a hierarchy have a voice by default whether they have anything to say or not. What helped me to get through those crises was the sheer amount of work involved in getting the business and all the people I was responsible for through the challenges. There was little time to think how I felt about it all.

Opting out of the system for me meant giving up the structures that provided a scaffold for the coping mechanism. But having a voice in that environment was an immense responsibility. Every word and every pause mattered; there were too much and too many at stake.

Opting out and giving up my previous voice was my choice, it was my very reason for choosing because with voicelessness comes immense freedom. Freedom in turn releases an even more powerful voice. I feel a new kind of responsibility and a new purpose.