Reorientation

Writing as a way back into making

Hey, wonderful people, as I mentioned in my previous newsletter, I recently moved to Doha, Qatar, from South Africa, and I was unaware of how moving to another country would challenge my creative/artistic practice. I moved cities before, but never countries. South Africa is familiar (it’s home), and I know how to create from that familiarity. Creating from a knowing vs creating from the unknown requires a reorientation of oneself. There is so much to say about moving to a different continent and how a shift in physical context can impact one’s sense of self.

Photography, being one of my mediums of expression, I struggled to take photographs and find ways to express myself creatively. Sometimes new spaces require alternative ways of seeing, and writing became just that; it gave me the lenses to experience and see my new world afresh. Writing served as a tool that helped me re-enter the process of making. I would write a few lines; sometimes it would feel like jibberish; other times, like poetry. Writing has been a point of insecurity at various times in my life, and during these moments of piecing together my words, I would keep saying to myself, “Do not judge the process, do not judge your words. Move with it. Flow with it. Stay in motion.” These words brought about moments of calm and allowed me to cast less judgment on my writing.

Below are the words that poured out of that less critical space:

Staying in motion

It’s the formula

It’s the ocean

Dive into it

Drown

In it

I started experimenting with the visual form of my writing, allowing the sentence structure to reflect the motion I am attempting to convey in my words (as you can see above). Through my written experiments, I thought, ‘Why not create photographic images in response to your words?’

Uber Blurred Impressions

It was my first summer in Doha, and I was surprised by how hot it was. I was never ready; being outside with a camera was unbearable, so I kept a safe distance and documented all my photographic adventures through the comfort of an Uber. I documented mostly blurred impressions and reflections through the window, as my work gravitates toward abstraction. From that point, it encouraged me to explore light and shadow studies documenting dead flowers at home, somewhat eternalising them and adding new layers to my making process.

Light and Shadow Studies

The creative process is not linear, and at times, it can get really messy, especially when you’re relearning how to trust yourself again. Still, I’m grateful that I leaned into the process and allowed myself to be vulnerable by attempting a new way of making.

What are some of the ways or tools you use to get back into your process of making/creativity? Share your thoughts.