BY KFLEEYESUS ABEBE
Life situations, bad circumstances, weather or any other challenges may affect peoples’ mood and motivation. Ones active, joyful and sociable maybe seen weak, sad and lonely. Someone who is known for being passionate may also be seen losing interest on everything. Even a crowd of people may show similar behaviour. Relaxed, calm, organised and hopeful people might turn to uneasy, disturbed and disorganised. It is this time people had to give time to themselves, to deal with fatigue of day-to-day life or difficulties.
A time of rest to relaxation, realisation inspiration and awakening is crucial. At this moment in time, there needs to be something to stimulate, ways someone to overcome this depressing feeling, to bounce back and act as usual. Art in any form is like a sweet lullaby, tending mother or gracious father who always uplifts his child. With their works, artists energise the weak, encourage the downhearted, relax the stress, inspire and insist for action. Zeritu’s Alebzam woy nekabelu/ Isn’t too much, wake up! is a perfect example of arts’ attempt to be positive impact, put a stop to hesitation and people eventually be decisive on relevant matters. In this music, she insists people need be mindful of their lives and actions. In fact, the music is about communities to live healthy life and to be active on climate change and other related issues.
Depression
Isn’t too much of depression?!
Isn’t too much the slowness?!
Wake up!
Isn’t too much to forget your duties?
Isn’t too much to be reckless?!
Insensibilty by talk
Without any fruit or merit
Numbness by dancing
Without any goal or achievement
Inactiveness in the town
People listening just to eachother
Information day by day
What we listen artificial
What is on air artificial
l
Andra Day’s song “Rise Up” imparts contagious strength even in times of distress. The power of love, care and togetherness is told beautifully. In interview with Times Magazine, Andra said the song gave her comfort in hard time. “ My music and my personal life were both stagnating at the time, and a friend of mine had been diagnosed with cancer. “Rise Up” started as a sort of prayer—I thought about what I needed to hear to be able to get back on my feet. Most of the song came streaming out in
the first freestyle recording.”
You’re broken down and tired
Of living life on a merry go round
And you can’t find the fighter
But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out
And move mountains
We gonna walk it out
And move mountains
And I’ll rise up
I’ll rise like the day
I’ll rise up
I’ll rise unafraid
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousand times again
And I’ll rise up
High like the waves
I’ll rise up
In spite of the ache
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousand times again
However, artists who inspire us, motivate us, and relax our mood aren’t immune from mood changes. Like many of us, their mood, feeling and motivation can be affected. As a result, some Ethiopian artists are suffering from artistic constipation or blockage in recent years, particularly within the movie industry. Critics argue that the industry has become repetitive, with similar plot lines, predictable acting, redundant issues, and even recycled dialogues. Moreover, some producers are taking years to complete their movie or album productions, leaving the audience wondering if they are facing creative blockages.
Artists may find themselves in a difficult position where they need to produce art to secure income, even when they are not in the mood or experiencing creative difficulties. This can potentially compromise the quality of their work and undermine their reputation as artists.
To prevent this, its important for artists to be aware of creative blocks and learn how to overcome them. “Artistic constipation refers to the inability to access creativity, leading to a lack of motivation, inspiration, and will to create something that is thought-provoking, meaningful, or aesthetically beautiful.” Stress, fear of failure, perfectionism, burnout from too much work or personal issues can be reasons of experiencing artistic block. Social media, phone calls, and dependence on other technology also affect their creativity. As lack of feedback makes artists less motivated, too much expectation or approval can also make them stressed and their work delayed
00000 or compromise the quality of their work. “No one is waiting for you to write your first book.
No one cares if you finish it. But after your first, if it goes well, everyone seems to be waiting.”
– Jeffrey Eugenides
Luckily,artistic constipation is manageable by simple but bold actions like taking a break. If they get some rest, deal with personal issues or change their surrounding for a time, there is a chance to get out of this state of mind. It is essential to stay driven, passionate to stay in your creative pursuits but sometimes it is also vital to take a break so that you get fresh perspective to create new content. If this could be done, repetitive songs with no message can be modified to a brand new song with ever loved, unforgettable and valuable message and melody. The same could also be achieved with the movie industry, there could be much done but artists should be in the right of mood creativity. Most of all, artists preserve their reputation since they are careful and energetic to create fresh contents. Fans can also play positive role by returning the favor; encouraging them by showing their love to artistic piece, appreciating good artistic contents and supporting artists by purchasing their products or other ways. Understanding the character of artists and their hard work in producing art is also essential.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 6 APRIL 2023
