Have a heart for art I was one of the very few uninformed people when it came to local arts and thought that we don''t have talented artists in Namibia at all. I''m not talking about art-like artists, because in that department we are quite clear and on the same page. I am however referring to art like Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci art, like! I had this poor perception until I met some artists and had the greatest chats ever! Hear it from me that we have talented guys in Namibia.My poor belief and judgement was influenced by the fact that many parents don''t consider the arts as a career, I mean my dad still wants me to go and do a “real” course after I finish my journalism degree so. But it turns out that if your parents know for sure that you are just not going through a bad puberty patch or an adolescent change, then they will actually support you in all your endeavours. Like Pablo Picasso said – every child is an artist, the problem is how they remain an artist once they grow up, which could prove otherwise. One can tell whether a child is an artist from the time they start drawing the a point where they can make decisions for themselves.
I''m glad to have found out that even the government is also playing a major role in developing arts within the country. There are many government funded art programmes that aim at creating awareness and there are experienced artists coming to Namibia and take part in these programmes. Big up''s to that one. There are also private organisations like Bank Windhoek who also have done a lot to contribute to the arts in Namibia.
This is so helpful to many artists, because not all of us are meant to be good in school subjects, but when it comes to using our hands for creativity, it''s just something magical. This also reduces the numbers of people on the streets, because they are school dropouts or those that never got an opportunity to attend school for different reasons.
I encourage and urge people that are artists to try it out, because you never know who sees your work and what they are willing to pay, or how far they are willing to take your work. Like any other career, nothing comes easy of course, and patience is a virtue after all, hence keeping this in mind is crucial.
June Shimuoshili