Pssst…Your favourite artist is not OK!

and what you can do about it.

Pick any monumental moment in your life and I would not be surprised if it was punctuated with someone else’s art. A wedding, engagement party, a funeral hymn, a movie for your first date, a book that changed your life, a painting, a poem that made you cry, an article in the newspaper, or online. Perhaps a break-up or a new encounter spiced by the lyrics of a song you found spoke to you in that special way. A movie that brought you to tears because of how relatable it was or even those storylines that inspired you to do and be better. A book that taught you lessons that enriched your life or simply helped you be a little bit happier. Even the languages we speak brought to life by the very contributions of creatives like William Shakespeare, adding onto vocabulary.

So many endless avenues of creativity filled to the brim by artists and creatives from all walks of life. However, now, in this pandemic — an unprecedented event — a lot of your favourite artists are not ok. If you are from Malawi, you will recall on the run-up to the 2020 fresh elections, the government banned large public events. That meant no theatre events, no live music shows, no festivals, no standup comedy events, no weddings, etc.

This was a crucial step in trying to curb the spread of the pandemic. However, contradictory to this decree, we saw politicians continue large public gatherings with no social distancing measures whatsoever. This further cemented the belief in some people’s minds that “Corona” was not real and just some hoax made by the government to siphon money out of donor organisations. On top of that, the full repercussions were not considered: what would happen to the industries that thrived on the gathering of people in mass? What would happen to the people’s livelihoods that truly depended on this? With piracy being a real concern for many, lots of performing artists and creatives rely on live events to make a significant amount of their monthly earnings.

As an artist, creative, and entertainer myself, I can attest to the number of cancellations I had to accept from the commencement of the pandemic to present. Online events just are not the same as live ones. Having said that, I am a very cautious person and understand the importance of postponing such for the time being until a clearer way forward is possible without risking lives. Like everyone else in any other industry in the world, we are all trying to adapt. However, the point of this article is to highlight the forgotten folks unable to fathom how they will survive this year because of the impact of the pandemic on their craft.

In some other African countries, programs were put in place to cushion the blow of all this for artists and creatives. In Malawi, nothing has been done and it looks like nothing will. That is one of the saddest things for me to think of right now. The same people whose work makes lockdowns or staying at home bearable with their movies, series, songs, books, poems, articles, etc are the same people who do not know how this year will go for them financially. One of the arguments people like to make about artists and the livelihood is “they choose this livelihood” and therefore made their bed. True, they did. We did. However, I understand how easy that is to say when one lacks empathy. If you have a favourite artist in mind, I am pretty sure considering a world without their work is a depressing thought. For that reason, I would like to challenge anyone reading this to think about their favourite artist, creative or entertainer. Think about them for a moment and then consider how you can help them.

Here are a few suggestions you could try to help that wonderful creative whose work you enjoy:

• Buy more of the work they have put out: Did they release an album, clothing design, face masks, movie, publication or painting, etc? If so, buy it. If you already have it and enjoyed it, why not buy another copy as a gift for someone you care about?
• Share their work: Why not make the effort at sharing videos, interviews, articles, or whatever impressive information exists about your favourite artist. Maybe you can even write a “testimony” about what their work meant to you e.g. you heard it during your lowest times and it helped you get through the day… you listened to this artist’s story and it inspired you to start your own business or craft. So many true stories on how you or someone else was touched. Social media made sharing easier: whether on WhatsApp, Linkedin, Medium, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, PInterest, etc.. the options are endless.
• Recommend them to a potential fan: Maybe you have a friend or family member with a similar taste? Maybe you know someone that likes to try out new things and is gagging for a worthy distraction in these “stay at home” times? How about go beyond point 2 above and actually “directly” and specifically recommend that work to a friend.
• Contact your artist: check-up on them, they are human too. I can’t think of a single creative that doesn’t want to feel some level of “having been seen”. In the absence of financial support, solidarity is comforting.
• If you have a skill that can help your favourite star, why not offer it to them as a gift or in exchange for their work. I think a lot of people who are creative in Malawi may not have yet caught on how to adapt to using technology. Maybe you can show them an avenue that could help them keep going? You never know.
• Pray for them: if they are a person of faith, I’m pretty sure this will count for them too… a whole lot.

To my fellow artists, by our very nature: we are creative and survivors. This too shall pass. Meanwhile, let’s try and innovate through the pandemic: you can do this, you’ve got this.

To those who enjoy our work: thank you so much for appreciating what we share. Your presence makes the journey that much sweeter.

Any thoughts or comments? Feel free to share. :)

Want to discover more about Maclean Mbepula? Find her on Linkedin or here on Medium. She’s written 3 books (one in entrepreneurship from a grassroots perspective (“Challenge Accepted) and 2 poetry books which are available for purchase on Amazon. Feel free to support her work by becoming one of her patrons at Patreon.