The last day was an emotional day for me. From the Baseline Academy Conference early that morning, where we performed our song and talked about our experience, to when I placed my head on the pillow that night. The experience is one I feel I cannot adequately describe with words alone.
When I look back, after everything is said and done, I am grateful and glad that I listened to the voice inside and went after my passion for creating and writing. It is the place where I truly feel alive. It is the only place I feel like I am living the life I should be living, giving to the world what I should be giving and doing what I should be doing. It is the love of my life.
The anxiety I felt at the beginning was swallowed and engulfed by the feeling of belonging, connection and gratitude. I am grateful to the organizations that made Interstellar possible, the British Council and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. I am grateful for the facilitating hub Kay Media Africa and all the hubs taking part in the entire Scripts and Bars Program which are Khura Agency, Page Poetry Alive and Reprezent Radio in London that brought Patrick to Zimbabwe.
I met my tribe and family in creativity and art during the experience. The experience forced me to reflect on my life, on what I consider important and what I need to actively do to create the life I want. We live a life full of distractions and wear the daily masks we are expected to wear. Eventually it all becomes blurry, we lose ourselves to the world and end up not knowing where we want to go. In the process, the journey loses its magic.
I have wondered many times the meaning to life and I have concluded many times that we may never truly know the answer to that. I am convinced though that creatives come very close and touch that magic every time they create a piece of art and that magic transfers to anyone else who appreciates it. They bring those who experience their art closer to the stars.
Art is the place people run to when they feel lost, broken and lonely. It is also the place to go to find the way back to yourself and a place of solace. It is the band aid to society’s pain. It is where we find our joy and inspiration. It gives us space to fall in love.
Our memories are attached to art and its magic. One song can make us remember that one dance, that one occasion, that one moment. We turn to soothing melody to heal us. We are captivated by the movement of dance. We sink our teeth in the depth of poetry. We get lost in the intricate design, the color and expression in imagery.
We get lost in worlds that don’t exist through movies and we see ourselves through the actors and actresses. Each expression of an artist can never be duplicated, neither can it be the same for each person who experiences it. It is truly unique and divine. It is true magic.
My prayer is that every creation finds its home and each creator the courage to create.
Written By Margaret Chideme
