Haja Fanta
Image: Hannah Faith Oni
Pictured: Curator, Writer; Haja Fanta.
Whilst reflecting is something I do often, thinking about mental health in relation to creativity was a lot harder than I thought it would be. It’s difficult to untangle where one starts and the other ends. This text is a very present stream of consciousness, so bear with me!
I pursued a creative career as a result of being dissatisfied with the career I had initially embarked on. Like most people I had never considered having working in the creative industry was possible, it looked like an uphill battle that I was not willing to climb. However, it got to the point where both my dissatisfaction and curiosity were strongly at the fore of my mind. It very much felt like I had to find out what life could look like if I did go down the creative path. Coming into creativity ‘late’ meant that a lot of the mental turbulence I encountered in my 20s occurred separate from my creative pursuits and it was when my understanding of self was expanding that I felt creativity was the natural next step. So what I am saying is that my decision to embrace creativity was liberating because it coincided with a time where I was releasing all the things that had been holding me back; primarily fear. Every time I feel like giving up, I remind myself how I ended up here in the first place; being in search of autonomy. Also, having a community of creatives who had already started their careers was also a massive benefit. I was privy to all the peaks and troughs that they experienced and was able to brace myself for a similar journey.
Engaging in such a non linear career has forced me to really consider what I want my life to look like and how much I can have a role in shaping that. It has also taken me in directions that I could never imagine. This is not to say that it has been all sunshine and rainbows but it has been what has felt the most aligned to who I am.
“I am definitely of the belief that we all have the right to pursue the things that stimulate us and in doing so our wellbeing is better for it”.
Image: Hannah Faith Oni
(Haja Fanta pictured with Amaranth. First cultivated in South and Central America, a plant considered as a grain; their name derives from the Greek word “the never-fading” or “the one that does not wither”).
Naturally, it’s hard to ignore the precarious times we are living in and how they impose limitations on being able to do the things that we enjoy. I’m currently at a crossroad as to whether or not it is even feasible to maintain in London and as a result of creativity being so important to me I have real thoughts about relocating.
I guess I’m saying all of this to say that it’s not easy but it’s definitely worth it if you feel like it brings out the best in you.